Match the type of information needed with the suggested information resource:
| Information Need: |
Suggested Information Resources: |
| Does your topic cover current events? |
Newspapers, magazines, Internet |
| Do you need general information on a specific topic, written in a non-specialist
style? |
Newspapers, magazines, Internet |
| Do you need in-depth information on a specific topic, written for the
college student and above by authorities in the field? |
Scholarly journal |
| Do you need more detail and/or has the topic been written about for
awhile? |
Books |
| Do you need an overview, quick facts, statistics on a topic? |
Reference books, Internet |
Choosing the right resource often depends on:
- Assignment requirements—what does the professor want you to cite?
- Time—the more current the topic, the less will be found in scholarly
journals or books, which take longer to get published. Recent events
will be covered on the Internet, in newspapers and magazines, as well as
in the media.
- Depth of coverage and/or the topic—scholarly journals and books
cover topics in more depth than magazines and newspapers. Some topics are
not covered by the popular press, e.g., research that would not be of interest
to the average consumer.
- Quality of the resource -- see Evaluating Print and
Internet Resources
