M2L2: Types of Information Sources

NIOS Senior Secondary 12th Library and Information Science (339) module 2 information sources lesson 2 chapter 6

primary sources of information

• new raw data, new interpretation of known facts, or new observations / experiment 

• include periodicals, newspapers, technical reports, dissertations, conference papers, patents, standards, trade and product bulletins

periodicals (primary sources of information)

(primary sources of information)

• a publication with definite periodicity under the same title intended to be published indefinitely

• each issue is dated and consecutively numbered 

• all issues in a volume have continuous page numbers 

• collection of articles by different authors

• also called journals

• info is timely and more current than books

• scientific journals were the first to be published

serial (periodicals)

(periodicals)

• any publication issues in successive parts intended to publish indefinitely 

• common types include research periodicals, trade and business periodicals, newsletters, newspapers, popular magazines, almanacs / yearbooks, annual reviews, indexing / abstracting periodicals

• multi volume books and encyclopaedias aren’t serials as they stop publishing after the last volume

scholarly periodicals or peer reviewed journals (primary periodicals)

(primary periodicals)

• published by learned societies, R&D organisations, universities, and some reputed commercial publishers

• publish research findings and are peer reviewed 

• basic features of these journals are 

  • its purpose - to report original and significant search in a certain subject, are primary sources and called primary periodicals 

  • the best source for new or current info

  • written by researchers, professionals, experts - articles are technical and require subject background / knowledge 

  • meant for scholarly audience and called scholarly journals 

  • don’t have ads (usually)

  • each issue is consecutively numbered and all issues in a volume have continuous page numbers

  • articles often have abstracts before the main text 

    • abstract → a descriptive summary of the article 

  • each article has the address of the author 

  • articles always cite their sources in bibliographies and / or footnotes 

    • bibliographies contain references to other scholarly writings

trade and business periodicals (primary periodicals)

(primary periodicals)

• published by trade organisations and commercial publishers 

• features include

  • covering articles, news, trends, and issues for specific businesses / industry

  • authors being professionals or journalists working for the publisher

  • covering industry trends, new products, techniques, organisational news

  • lots of ads → index to the advertisers included

  • using glossy paper and colourful illustrations when published

  • might have some jargon but is written for the general educated audience 

• eg. indian textile journal & chemical week

popular periodicals (primary periodicals)

(primary periodicals)

• devoted to particular subject area 

• written in simple language 

• features include 

  • meant for general public who don’t have specialised knowledge of the subject

  • published to inform, educate, and entertain

  • purpose of science and tech periodicals is to popularise these topics

  • published by R&D organisations, government departments, and commercial publishers

  • articles are usually short and sometimes don’t have references

magazines (primary periodicals)

(primary periodicals)

• published by newspapers and commercial publishers 

• entertain, sell products, give practical info, promote a viewpoint

• features include 

  • content includes info on celebrities, news, and general interest articles 

  • authors are journalists and freelance writers 

  • glossy covers and lots of colourful illustrations and photographs to distinguish from other magazines

  • lots of ads 

  • language is simple and designed to meet minimal education level 

  • each issue starts with page one

e-journals (primary periodicals)

(primary periodicals)

• any serial produced, published, and distributed via electronic networks 

• also known as paperless journals and online journals 

• on CD-ROM is like having printed journal - requires computer and requisite software 

• many advantages over print journals 

  • CD-ROm has storage capacity of

newspapers (primary sources of information)

(primary sources of information)

• publish news of current affairs of political, social, and economic front of a nation or region 

• different kinds of newspapers → local or regional, national or international

• can specialise in economic and financial matters 

  • have in depth analysis of trade, banking, commerce

• basic features include 

  • published daily, weekly, or bi-weekly 

  • covers news, current events, advertising, topics of human interest 

  • main purpose → to inform, explain, influence, and entertain 

  • authors are free-lance writers or journalists, can be scholars 

  • articles are usually short 

  • language is simple and designed for a minimal education level 

  • generally has photographs

  • use of advertising is moderate to heavy 

technical reports (primary sources of information)

(primary sources of information)

• research reports produced after conducting research in a well defined research area

• generally in the field of science and technology 

• sponsored by government organisations, industries, other agencies, etc 

• research conducts research for sponsor, writes research results in the form of technical report, and submits it to the sponsor

conference papers (primary sources of information)

(primary sources of information)

• meeting organised by learned body by subject experts to exchange and discuss info

• every year there are thousands of conferences

• experts present their papers 

• conference proceedings are published after it’s over 

• contains research papers presented in the conference, discussions, minutes of the meeting, resolutions adopted 

• eg. proceedings of 8th international convention caliber-2011, goa university, goa, 2-4 mar 2011

dissertations and thesis (primary sources of information)

(primary sources of information)

• doc submitted by a researcher for candidature for a degree / personal qualification

• in some unis dissertations and theses are seen as the same 

• in some unis dissertations are submitted at the end of the master’s degree and theses are submitted at the end of the PhD

• report original research 

• eg. digital light photography → a thesis submitted to the department of computer science, university of delhi for award of doctorate degree 

patents (primary sources of information)

(primary sources of information)

• granted by government and gives a person or company sole rights to make, use, or sell, a new invention for a certain number of years

• can be for a product, process, or design 

• to protect inventions in R&D activities by patenting with the government 

• gov grants patent and published the details of granted patents through an official publication 

• eg. indian patents are published in gazette of india, part 3, and section 2

standards (primary sources of information)

(primary sources of information)

• provides requirements, specifications, guidelines, characteristics to consistently quality check materials, products, processes, and services 

• standard → a set of rules for ensuring quality of a product, process or a service 

• has two types → fundamental standards & technical standards 

• ensures that they are safe, reliable, and of good quality

• help businesses develop consistent products so it can be used globally 

  • encourages international trade

• makes it easier to understand and compare competing products

• eg. iso 2709: standard for bibliographic record formats 

fundamental standards (standards)

(standards)

• based on quantifiable fundamental entities that are basic to all scientific and technical practices

• includes measuring length, mass, time, temperature, various forms of energy, force

technical standards (standards)

(standards)

• related to product, process, material, or service

• ensures that they are safe, reliable, and of good quality

trade and product bulletins (primary sources of information)

(primary sources of information)

• information products brought out by publishers, manufacturers and distributors of materials, products, and services 

• cover every kind of material, product or service 

  • includes books, drugs, chemicals, household goods, complex machinery, research and industry equipment etc

• purpose is to describe characteristics of the product to promote its sale to customers

• information about the specific commercial product isn’t likely to be published in any other form of lit

secondary sources of information

• helps researchers keep track of latest info in their field 

• includes secondary periodicals, bibliographies, books, reviews, treatises, state-of-the-art reports, reference sources, etc

secondary periodicals (secondary sources)

(secondary sources)

• scan the lit in primary sources, select relevant stuff, and arrange them in a helpful sequence 

• published in weekly, fortnightly, or monthly intervals 

• contain bibliographical references with or without abstracts 

• secondary periodical with abstracts is an abstracting periodical 

• secondary periodical without abstracts is an indexing periodical

• bring recently published lit from a specific subject together 

• indexing and abstracting periodicals are available in every subject field 

• most national and international secondary periodicals are available in print, CD-ROM, and / or online

indexing periodicals (secondary periodicals)

(secondary periodicals)

• relevant items with full bibliographical (bib) details are chosen and arranged under broad subject headings or class numbers 

• brings all items on the same subject together 

• bib details help readers and identify and locate the original doc 

  • eg. if the doc is a journal article, bib details will include name of author(s), title of article, title of journal, volume number, issue number, year of publication, page numbers

• also provides author and subject indexes of items covered

abstracting periodicals (secondary periodicals)

(secondary periodicals)

• contents of the selected items are summarised (called abstracts) and are provided along with bib details 

• helps reader to decide whether to read the full doc or not 

• sometimes a well prepared abstract serves as a substitute for the original doc 

• also provide author and subject indexes

bibliographies (secondary sources)

(secondary sources)

• a systematic list of docs that share a common factor - such as subject, language, time period, author, etc 

• may be comprehensive or selective 

• enumerative / systematic bibliography - arranged in a certain order, attempts to record / list 

• each entry provides bib details of a doc 

• entry for a book contains 

  • name(s) of author(s), title of the book, publisher, date of publication 

• entry for journal contains 

  • name(s) of author(s), article title, journal title, volume number, issue number, year of publication, page numbers

national bibliography (bibliographies)

(bibliographies)

•  lists the publications produced in a country 

  • eg. Indian National Bibliography - compiled by Central Reference Library, Kolkata

trade bibliography (bibliographies)

(bibliographies)

•  list books meant for sale 

• used by libraries to select books for the library 

• brought out by publishers, book sellers, distributors, or printers 

subject bibliography (bibliographies)

(bibliographies)

• lists docs on a certain subject

• one important service of the library is to carry out lit search and compile subject bibliography 

• sometimes they are compiled on regular basis in anticipation of the users’ needs 

• also compiled on special occasions such as seminars and workshops to provide the latest lit on the topic 

• university and special libraries offer this service more often than public libraries

books (secondary sources)

(secondary sources)

• a written or published doc of at least 49 pages that communicates thoughts, ideas, or info

• pages are glued or sewn together along one side, called the spine - it can be opened at any point

• two covers of the book are joined by hinges to the spine 

• either hardbound or soft bound depending on the covers

  • hardbound books have covers made of cloth, plastic, or leather over cardboard 

    • a paper cover jacket is often added to protect the cover

  • soft bound books are also called paperbacks since they have paper covers

parts of a book (books)

(books)

book types (books)

(books)

• books are important sources of info and libraries acquire them based on users’ needs 

• based on contents → can be simple or composite, single or multivolume, fiction or nonfiction, textbook or treatise

• based on physical format → can be print or non print medium, pamphlet or manuscript

  • non print medium includes audio books, video books, multimedia books and ebooks

simple books (book types based on contents)

(book types based on contents)

• treatment of subject is continuous and written by one or more authors

• eg. the digital scholar by m weller

composite books (book types based on contents)

(book types based on contents)

• treatment of subject may not be continuous and each chapter / article is written by a different author

single volume (book types based on contents)

(book types based on contents)

• book in one volume 

• eg. scholarly communication by s l gillenson

multivolume (book types based on contents)

(book types based on contents)

• book in more than one volume 

• continuous page numbers in consecutive volumes

reference books (book types based on contents)

(book types based on contents)

• provides answers as brief facts, statistical info, background info, or directs to additional info sources 

• meant only for consultation or referred for some specific info - not for continuous reading 

• include dictionaries encyclopaedias, handbooks, yearbooks, almanacs, directories, biographical and geographical sources

fiction books (book types based on contents)

(book types based on contents)

• story books, novels, prose writings that focus on imaginary people and happenings 

• arranged alphabetically by author’s last name

non fiction books (book types based on contents)

(book types based on contents)

• about real things, people, events and places 

• includes subject & reference books

• arranged by class number to keep books in the same subject together

textbooks (book types based on contents)

(book types based on contents)

• for regular study by a student 

• designed to inform systematically

• start with concepts and then elaborate with more details 

• most books used in schools are textbooks

• graded and instructional in nature 

• meant for the comprehension level of students 

• students use textbooks to learn 

• teachers use them to teach and prepare for class

treatises (book types based on contents)

(book types based on contents)

• formal and in depth treatment of a subject

• meant for scholars for advanced study 

• eg. the prince by niccolò machiavelli

pamphlet (book types based on physical format)

(book types based on physical format)

• unbound printed publication with no cover or a paper cover

• minimum 5 pages

• maximum 48 pages

• page numbers exclude cover

manuscript (book types based on physical format)

(book types based on physical format)

• any document that is written or typed by a typewriter or computer

• used to distinguish author’s original version of a work from printed copies

• historical manuscripts - handwritten documents from ancient times before the introduction of printing in 1400s 

  • can be traced to certain times or areas by materials used

inside a book (books)

(books)

• inside the front cover of a typical book there is a collection of pages called preliminary material

  • includes title page, copyright page, acknowledgement page, dedication page, preface, table of contents 

• followed by the body of the book - the text 

• after the end of the text comes the glossary, bibliography, and index

title page (inside a book)

(inside a book)

• first page with title of the book, authors, and publisher

copyright page (inside a book)

(inside a book)

• has the name of publisher, date of publication and its details

dedication page (inside a book)

(inside a book)

• to whom the author dedicates the book

preface (inside a book)

(inside a book)

• also called foreword or introduction

• author states aim of writing book and mentions its important features

table of contents (inside a book)

(inside a book)

• the list of contents, arranged by chapters with their page numbers

text (inside a book)

(inside a book)

• the body of the book divided into units or chapters

glossary (inside a book)

(inside a book)

• list of important words use in the book with their meanings

bibliography (inside a book)

(inside a book)

• list of books, articles, etc used by author as sources

index (inside a book)

(inside a book)

• alphabetical list of names, places, topics, etc discussed in the book with their corresponding page number

tertiary sources of information

• based on primary and secondary sources and serve as key to the sources 

• consistent of info that is a distillation and collection of primary and secondary sources

• help locate primary and secondary sources 

• includes bibliography of bibliographies, guides to literature, directories listing primary and secondary periodicals, etc

electronic sources

• publications that need a computer to access the info

• can be off-line or online

• offline electronic publications are stored on electronic storage media like CD-ROM, DVD, Diskette or magnetic tape 

• online electronic publications are accessible online on a webpage or an online database

• most sources are available in print and electronic mediums

• some sources that were in print are now exclusively electronic

• even though there are more advantages and limitations to electronic sources, they aren’t likely to replace print sources soon 

  • people still want to read books, newspapers, etc 

  • electronic sources will supplement but not replace print sources

advantages of electronic sources over print sources (electronic sources)

(electronic sources)

• more frequently updated than print 

• more search options 

• provide access to wider range of info

• faster and easier access to info 

  • eg. indexing and abstracting periodicals where back volumes are put into a single searchable database - search is easy and fast

• online resources provide links from citations to full text articles 

• full text data can be delivered instantly 

• can be delivered in multimedia format and include text, video, and audio 

• can be accessed by many users at the same time 

• can be accessed anytime and anywhere as long as there is internet access 

• back volumes of print materials need to bound and stored which is expensive and space consuming - not a problem with storing back volumes electronically, even on CD-ROM

• missing issues, missing pages, and other damages caused by mishandling print doesn’t happen to electronic sources

limitations of electronic sources (electronic sources)

(electronic sources)

• use of electronic sources requires expensive equipment which needs to be acquired, maintained, and upgraded 

  • includes computer hardware, software, internet connection, subscription to sources

• require computer knowledge despite being user friendly 

  • need to train staff and users - can cost money

• most publishers have licence agreements when selling e-publications - they can restrict users in the use of e-resources

• reading from the computer screen can cause discomfort to users - some prefer to print out the article or read from the print version