| Information can come from virtually anywhere -- personal
experiences, books, articles, expert opinions, encyclopedias, the
Web -- and the type of
information you need will change depending on the question you are
trying to answer. Look at the following sources of information.
Notice the similarities between them.
Keep in mind the following
three questions:
- Which sources can you find online?
- Which sources guide you to other information on your
topic?
- Which sources would you use when writing a research
paper?
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| After
reading the information try the practice page:
Practice
Evaluating of Periodicals |
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Click on each of the nine sources below to learn more about them |
Magazines |
Journals
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Periodical Index |
Newspapers |
Library
Catalog |
Books
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Encyclopedias
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World Wide
Web |
Email |
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A magazine is a collection of articles and images about diverse
topics of popular interest and current events. Usually these
articles are written by journalists or scholars and are geared
toward the average adult. Magazines may cover very "serious"
material, but to find consistent scholarly information you should
use journals.
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| Magazines, like journals and newspapers, are called
"periodicals" because they are published at regular intervals
throughout the year. Print magazines can be found in bookstores and
libraries. Electronic magazines, called
e-zines, can be found on
the Web and sometimes in "digital library" collections.
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Use a Magazine
- to find information or opinions about popular culture
- to find up-to-date information about current events
- to find general articles for people who are not necessarily
specialists about the topic
Examples of Magazines
- U.S. News and World Report
- Ebony
- New Yorker
- Sports Illustrated
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A journal is a collection of articles usually written by
scholars in an academic or professional field. An editorial board
reviews articles to decide whether they should be accepted. Articles
in journals can cover very specific topics or narrow fields of
research. Since journals are published on a regular or periodic
basis they are grouped in the category called "periodicals."
Electronic journals, called e-journals, are published on the Web by
scholarly organizations and are made available to you from your
library.
Use a Journal
- when doing scholarly research
- to find out what has been studied on your topic
- to find bibliographies that point to other relevant research
Examples of Journals
- Journal of Communication
- The Historian
- Journal of the American Medical Association
- Lancet
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to Top) |
A periodical index points to citations of articles in magazines,
journals and newspapers. Many periodical indexes contain abstracts
or brief summaries of the articles. Some contain the full text or
entire content of whole articles as they originally appeared in the
periodical. You may use online periodical indexes, purchased by your
library, from any Internet-connected compute |
Use a Periodical Index
- when researching a topic in magazines, journals or
newspapers
- when you know a subject but not a specific article
Examples of Periodical Indexes
- ArticleFirst (a general periodical index)
- Medline (a medical periodical index)
- Business Search Premier (a business periodical
index) (Back to Top)
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A newspaper is a collection of
articles about current events usually published daily. Since there
is at least one in every city, it is a great source for local
information. Newspapers, like journals and magazines, are called
"periodicals" because they are published on a regular or periodic
basis. |
| Many newspapers publish Web sites with today's news.
The online copy of a newspaper can contain fewer articles than the
print copy. Newspapers usually charge for access to online copies of
older articles, but you can often find those articles at your
library for free.
Use a Newspaper
- to find current information about international, national
and local events
- to find editorials, commentaries, expert or popular opinions
Examples
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| A library catalog is a searchable collection of records of every
item in a library. The catalog will point you to the location of a
particular source, or group of sources, that the library owns on
your topic. Since every library collection is unique, every catalog
is also unique.
Use the Catalog
- to find out what items the library owns on your topic
- to find where a specific item is located in the library
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| Books cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction. For research
purposes, you will probably be looking for books that synthesize all
the information on one topic to support a particular argument or
thesis. Libraries organize and store their book collections on
shelves called "stacks." Electronic books, called e-books, may be
purchased online or may be available for free from your library.
Use a Book
- when looking for comprehensive information on a topic
- to put your topic in context with other important issues
- to find historical information
- to find summaries of research to support an argument
Examples
- Grazulis, Thomas P. The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate
Windstorm, 2001.
- Nash, Gary B. ed. The American People: Creating a Nation
and a Society, 1990.
- Silverstone, Roger, ed. Visions of Suburbia, 1997
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| Encyclopedias are collections of short, factual entries often
written by different contributors who are knowledgeable about the
topic. There are two types of encyclopedias -- general and subject.
General encyclopedias provide concise overviews on a wide variety of
topics. Subject encyclopedias contain in-depth entries focusing on
one field of study. The best place to find an encyclopedia is in a
library. However, some encyclopedias can be found on the Web.
Use an Encyclopedia
- when looking for background information on a topic
- when trying to find key ideas, important dates or concepts
Examples
- Encyclopedia Americana (general encyclopedia)
- Columbia Encyclopedia (general encyclopedia)
- African-American Encyclopedia (subject
encyclopedia)
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| Email is a method of online communication with one or more
people using special software on an Internet-connected computer. It
is not a private form of communication since messages can be easily
copied and sent to others. It is difficult to convey emotion or
intent in an email message, so you must clearly state what you mean
to say. You should be aware that there are rules of etiquette or
"netiquette" to follow when using email. For example, USING ALL
CAPITAL LETTERS is frowned upon because it is considered to be
"shouting" in an online environment.
Use Email
- to find an opinion by an expert in the field
- to access postings and messages on
newsgroups and listservs
- to ask your reference librarian a question about research
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| Email is a method of online communication with one or more
people using special software on an Internet-connected computer. It
is not a private form of communication since messages can be easily
copied and sent to others. It is difficult to convey emotion or
intent in an email message, so you must clearly state what you mean
to say. You should be aware that there are rules of etiquette or
"netiquette" to follow when using email. For example, USING ALL
CAPITAL LETTERS is frowned upon because it is considered to be
"shouting" in an online environment.
Use Email
- to find an opinion by an expert in the field
- to access postings and messages on
newsgroups and listserv
- to ask your reference librarian a question about research
Examples of Email Addresses
- person@mail.utexas.edu
- president@whitehouse.gov
- smurf@aol.com
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