LibGuides: Library Research for College Students: Step-by-Step: Step 1.1 Know the Different Types of Information Sources

The Types of Information Used in Research

Information is Written for Different Purposes

The purpose of background information is provides you with the basic facts about a topic.
- Use reference sources like Credo Reference to find general information
- Good for introducing your audience to your topic when writing a research paper or essay
- Works well for speeches and presentations
The purpose of scholarly information is to examine a specific aspect of a topic in great detail.
- Use peer-reviewed or scholarly articles from academic journals to find this information
- Used in scientific and other professiona research studies
- Also found in scholarly books and eBooks
- Necessary for research papers and most essays
The purpose of popular information is to provide facts an opinions about a topic in a way that a general audience will understand
- Use articles from popular sources - newspapers, magazines, library books, television streaming video, podcasts, websites and other online media, etc.
- Works well for speeches, presentations, and demos

Information is Written for Different Audiences

Who will read your paper or watch your video or presentation? Thinking about who your audience is - your instructor, classmates, toddler - will guide you in your choice of research materials.
general - your classmates for example
children of all ages - toddler, pre-school, elementary school, middle school
scholarly - scientists and medical experts, professors, instructors, and academics
professional - the business,legal, technology communities, administrators in all fields

Information is Presented in Different Formats

If you are writing a research paper likely you will find the information you need in a print book or electronic database article. But if you are giving a speech about plant species in the region you may want to show an actual plant sample.

print - books, magazines, newspapers, reports, field notes, diaries, journals,
electronic and digital - books, magazines, newspapers, websites
audio - music, podcasts, interviews
visual - video, maps, charts, images, photographic, comics
physical - bones, fossils, plants, insects, artifacts

Learn more about different types of information at the links below!

Sources and Information Needs
Information needs are why you need sources. Meeting those needs is what you’re going to do with sources as you complete your research project.
Planning Your Sources
Okay, so once you know what kinds of sources you need to meet your information needs, where should you look for them?
Categorizing Sources
Categorizing sources will increase your sophistication about them and save you time in the long run.
Fact or Opinion?
Thinking about the reason an author produced a source can be helpful to you because that reason was what dictated the kind of information he/she chose to include.
Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Sources
Is your source firsthand, secondhand, or thirdhand information?
Popular, Professional, & Scholarly
We can also categorize information by the expertise of its intended audience. Considering the intended audience—how expert one has to be to understand the information—can indicate whether the source has sufficient credibility and thoroughness to meet your need.
Scholarly Articles as Sources
Scholarly articles are are usually trustworthy because their publication process includes a peer review that helps insure their accuracy and contribution to their disciplines.

Library Research for College Students: Step-by-Step

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Credit

Portions of this guide were based upon a research guide created by the University of Michigan Library and a research guide from Reynolds Community College Library. Both are used with permission thanks to a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Supplementary textbook readings are linked from Choosing and Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research by Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries, which is licensed and used thanks to a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Types of Information Used in Research