After completing this section, you will be able to identify and select a variety of types and formats of potential sources to meet your information needs.
Selecting the best information resources to answer your research question depends on the depth of the information you need and the time frame you wish to explore. Ask yourself what kind of information you need:
Use the table below to help determine the type of source that will best serve your purpose. Remember that you will probably want to use more than one type to locate the wide variety of information that fully covers your research topic.
| Type of Information | Purpose | Type of Source |
|---|---|---|
| Background information | Broad overview of a topic, defines terms, provides context | Books, reports, encyclopedias, dictionaries, government documents |
| Current information | Recent events, news, reports, statistical data | Newspapers, magazines, websites |
| Scholarly information | Research studies, in-depth analysis | Scholarly journal articles, books |
A database is a collection of information arranged into individual records. Some databases are multidisciplinary, while other databases are discipline- or subject-specific. Use one or more of these resources to locate journal articles on our topic.
| Databases | Smart Search & Google Scholar |
| Search only one database at a time | Search more than one database at a time |
| Subject-specific = more focused | Multidisciplinary |
| Manageable list of results | Many more results, can be less manageable |
Review the article below, and then take the quiz to determine if it is a scholarly article.