Guide to Library Research and Information Source Types

Information Source Types

  • Website: Information varies from general users to governmental officials; evaluate for author purpose and intended audience.

  • Newspaper: Usually published daily; ideal for local, national, and international current events and viewpoints via editorials.

  • Magazine: Written by journalists for the average adult regarding popular interest and current events.

  • Blog post or entry: Often personal accounts without review; useful for finding unique viewpoints outside mainstream sources.

  • Journal: Written by scholars for experts; high level of authority; covers specific academic research and specific topics.

  • Books: Provide in-depth synthesis of topics to support a thesis; can be in print or e book format.

  • Encyclopedias: Collections of factual entries; General encyclopedias provide broad overviews, while Subject specific encyclopedias offer in-depth field focus.

  • Videos and Media: Audio visual records, images, charts, and graphs that add source variation.

Peer Review Process

  • Some academic journals use peer review, where expert scholars evaluate an article's methodology and content before publication.

  • This process is more thorough than an editorial review and serves as an indication of high quality and credibility.

Research Tools and Access

  • Database: Contains citations and full text articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers; targeted subjects like Psychology and behavioral sciences are common.

  • Library catalog: An organized record of all items owned by a library; at SLCC, both a stand alone catalog and a combined catalog database called OneSearch are available.

  • Internet search engine: Used to identify the scope of a topic, keywords, and content not available in library collections like social media or personal blogs.

  • Access Reminder: Students must use SLCC credentials to access paid library databases for free.

Research Tips

  • Read abstracts or summaries of journal articles first to save time.

  • Check "about us" sections on blogs if an author is not identified.

  • Always confirm assignment instructions regarding specific source counts (e.g., matching requirements for newspaper vs. academic journal articles).