Types of Resources
Quality research requires you to spend a lot of time gathering information, and you are generally encouraged to use a variety of information resource types. What exactly does this mean?
Below are 7 ways to distinguish between different types of information resources when conducting research.
Deciding what source types to use will depend on your particular information need. Understand the requirements and expectations of your instructor and assignment, and if in doubt, talk to your teacher and visit the library for more help
HINT: When prompted to use a peer-reviewed, professionally-reviewed, or scholarly/academic journal information source, the best starting point is to use ProQuest Databases. Another option is to search open access journal materials, which you are available to everyone for free.
Finding different publication types may require to you to start searching in different places. You may be familiar with search options such as Google Books (limited free access), Google News, and Wikipedia (note crowd-sourced authority). Another great option, of course, is to search your school library catalog below.
You likely have more experience evaluating and interpreting text. What about information that is conveyed in other formats? Below are resources on how to critically "read" other multimedia formats. Analyzing Videos
Remember that libraries offer resources delivered in different ways. For example, you may access print books and magazines, as well as ebooks and magazine articles searchable via subscription-based online databases. Learn more by visiting your local libraries online or in person.
