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What Type of Information Do You Need?

Where to look for information depends on the type of information you need. Often this depends on the specific situation for which you are writing (e.g., audience, purpose, occasion, and medium).  

Acceptable forms of documentation differ greatly between audiences.  For example, most scholarly audiences expect information to be documented and reviewed.  Therefore sources that rely on  links to other online sources, references to "studies" or "reliable informants" without details, and online forums, chats, or email without documentation are unacceptable.  This doesn't mean the information is not factual.  It does mean that it is questionable and cannot be relied upon for most scholarly projects.

Source

Purpose

Author(s)

Audience

Publisher or Medium

Documented?

Current?

Reviewed?

Scholarly Books

Advance or report new knowledge

Experts

Academic or Technical

University or scholarly press

Yes

No

Yes

Scholarly Articles

Advance or report new knowledge

Experts

Academic or Technical

Scholarly or professional journal

Yes

Print - No Online - Varies

Yes

Serious books & articles

Report or summarize information

Experts or professional writers

Educated public (non-expert)

Commercial publishers

Not usually

Not usually

Yes

Popular magazines

Report or summarize information

Professional writers or journalists

General public

Commercial publishers

No

Yes

Yes

Newspapers, news services

Report current information

Journalists

Popular

Commercial press

No

Yes

Yes

Sponsored Web sites

Varies

Varies

Varies

Organizational or commercial sponsor

Sometimes (usually via links)

Varies

Sometimes

Individual Web sites

Anyone

Varies

Varies

WWW

Not usually

Sometimes

No

Interviews

Consult with experts

Varies

Varies

Varies

Not usually

Sometimes

No

Listservs and Discussion Forums

Discuss specific subjects

Varies

Varies

Email or WWW

No

Yes

No

Usenet Newsgroups

Discuss specific subjects

Anyone

Anyone

Email or WWW

No

Yes

No

(Excerpted, reformatted, and modified from Where Am I and What Am I Doing Here?  Janice Walker, Georgia Southern University, 2002).

Updated 04/09/03; KD

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