Download Information Sources (Module 2)

Research Success Tutorial – Information Sources (Module 2)
In the last module, we learned that some of the main sources of information include:
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Books
Periodicals
Non-Print Media
Web Sites
In this module, we will examine each of these sources more closely. By the time you are finished reviewing
this information, you will be able to describe what each source is and how it might be useful during the
research process.
Books
There are two types of books used for research, which are General, and Reference:
General Books
General books are an excellent source of background or historical information. They provide extensive
information on one specific topic or a collection of closely related topics.
Reference books
Reference books that give brief information or short articles on a variety of subjects include:
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almanacs
dictionaries
directories
atlases
Reference books that provide extensive coverage on one specific topic or related topics include:
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encyclopedias
handbooks
guides
manuals
Find Books
Use the library catalogue on the George Brown College Library Learning Commons homepage to find
the availability, location, and additional information of books.
Hint: Many books include a table of contents and an index that lists the topics.
Periodicals
Any materials such as journals, magazines and newspapers that are published continuously: daily,
weekly, monthly, yearly are referred to as periodicals.
Periodical articles provide focused, current information on your topic.
Periodicals include:
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Scholarly journals
Trade & Industry journals
Magazines
Newspapers
Let’s examine some of the key features of each type of periodical.
Scholarly journals
Scholarly journals (also known as academic journals or peer-reviewed journals) are written by
experts in the field. They report original research findings or provide a scholarly discussion of a topic.
Peer-review refers to the process of evaluating an article by researchers and experts before the article
is published. This process ensures that the journal and the research maintain a high standard of
quality, accuracy, and academic integrity.
Examples of scholarly journals include:
• Journal of Environmental Management
• Business and Education Research
• Nursing Diagnosis
Scholarly journal articles may include both an abstract and a bibliography.
An abstract is a brief summary of an article.
A bibliography is a list of the sources used while doing research and is also referred to as a:
• Reference List
• Works Cited List
• References
Trade & Industry Journals
Trade and industry journals are intended for a specific industry or profession. They cover industry
news, new developments or product reviews. Articles are often written by professionals within the
industry.
Examples of trade and industry journals include:
• CA Magazine
• RN
• Home Builder Magazine
Magazines
Magazines are written for a wide audience and cover news and topics of interest to the general public.
The articles are generally written by reporters rather than experts in the fields. Magazines also feature
pictures and advertisements.
Examples of magazines include:
• Macleans
• National Geographic
• Psychology Today
Newspapers
Newspapers are usually published daily and can provide readers with a good account of current events
locally, nationally or internationally.
Examples of newspapers include:
• Toronto Star
• Globe and Mail
• National Post
Find Periodicals
To find periodical titles, use the Journals by Title or Library Catalogue link. Both links are located on the
Library Learning Commons homepage.
To find full text articles, use the Online Research Databases, such as Academic Search Premier or
Canadian Newsstand.
Non-Print Media
Non-print media can be good sources of additional information on your topic and can add a different
perspective to your research.
Examples of non-print media resources include:
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DVDs/Videos
Slides
Audio Recordings
Interactive CDs
Sound Recordings
Computer Files
Online Videos
Find Non-Print Media
Use the Video & DVDs tab or the Online Video & DVDs link on the Library homepage to find videos
and DVDs.
Use the library catalogue to search for non-print media titles.
Web Sites
Web sites are a collection of World Wide Web pages on the Internet made available online by an
individual, company, government or educational institution.
Web sites provide a whole range of information. However, the credibility of information found on web
sites must be carefully evaluated as they:
• can be biased
• may contain inaccurate or outdated information
One way to distinguish between different types of websites is to examine the web address (also called
the URL) extetnsion. The extension of a web address consists of the last few letters that fall after the
last dot.
Note the web address extensions associated with these five broad categories of web sites.
.ca = Canadian website (www.georgebrown.ca)
.edu = Educational institutions (www.harvard.edu )
.gov = government websites (usually in the U.S. - www.whitehouse.gov)
.org = organizations, non-government organizations or associations (www.redcross.org)
.com = commercial website (www.rim.com)
Find Web Sites
Web sites can be found on the Internet using either a search engine or a subject directory.