INFORMATION SOURCESCSU 1022

Fall 2012

Erin L. Nagel

LIBRARY RESEARCH

What do I want to know?Define an information need and develop

a strategyWhere do I find it?

Know where to lookHow do I know if it’s right for me?

Evaluate information before you use it

INFORMATION SOURCES

Primary vs. Secondary SourcesBooksPeriodicalsInternetOther

TYPES OF INFORMATION SOURCES

Closest to actual event, person, etc. in question.

Original, unedited thoughts and observations

May be more difficult to obtain

Removed from primary source

Interpretations, restatements, reflections

Easier to access

Primary Sources Secondary Sources

EXAMPLES OF INFORMATION SOURCES

MemoirsDiariesLettersPhotographsE-mailsArtifactsFiction

BooksEncyclopediasTextbooksMagazine articles

Primary Sources Secondary Sources

LOOK AT: DATES, TYPE OF RESOURCE, & AUTHOR

Civil War Diary (electronic resource)

Author: Lt. Cornelius C. PlatterSubject: Civil WarDate: 1864-1865Find it: Digital Library of Galileo

Primary Source Secondary Source

Marching to Appomatox(book)Author: Ken Stark, author/ illustrator from WisconsinSubject: End of the US Civil WarDate: 2009Find it:CSU Library Juvenile collection

EXAMPLES:

Letter to US Bureau of Investigation chief(electronic resource)Author: Dave Gersham, Bureau of Investigation officerSubject: Author’s suspicions of Helen Keller as socialist, March 1918Date: March 16, 1918Find it:US Bureau of Investigation Case Files

Primary Source Secondary Source

Helen Keller: A life(book)Author: Dorothy Herrmann, author/biographerSubject: Helen Keller, 1880-1968Date: 1998Find it:CSU Library Circulating collection

EXAMPLES:

Newsfilm clip of African American students turned away from using the public library in Albany, Georgia(multimedia)

Producer/Distributor: WALBSubject: African American citizens and public library Date: 1962Find it:Digital Library of Georgia

Primary Source Secondary Source

Freedom Rides(encyclopedia entry)Author: Edward A. HatfieldSubject: Freedom Rides during 1961Date: 2008Find it:New Georgia Encyclopedia

INFORMATION SOURCES

BooksPeriodicalsInternetOther

BOOKS

Classified as fiction or nonfiction Fiction entertainment Nonfiction factual

Comprehensive information; expert analysis, historical perspective

Takes time to research, write, and publish Lengthy

REFERENCE BOOKS

Reference books nonfiction books consulted for authoritative information Encyclopedia- collection of detailed articles Dictionary- alphabetical listing of words Directory- listing of people, companies, etc. Almanac- compilation of statistics, figures, etc. Atlas- geographical and historical information Handbook- concise data on a subject

May be general or subject-specific Use for verification and starting research

FIND BOOKS IN THE CSU CATALOG

PERIODICALS

Published on a recurring basis May be in-depth, but narrowed focus More current information than books Types:

Popular magazines & newspapers Professional/ trade publications Scholarly journals

Look at:◦ Author◦ Advertising◦ Purpose◦ References

◦ Publication frequency

◦ Article length◦ Illustrations◦ Intended audience

PERIODICALS

Peer-review: Process by which articles are critically evaluated and considered for inclusion in a scholarly journal. Process may be lengthy Conducted by experts in the field Original research, experiments, expert analysis Also called: Refereed, Scholarly, Academic

FIND ARTICLES IN A DATABASE

EXAMPLES

ELECTRONIC BOOK RECORD

ARTICLE RECORD

PRINT PERIODICAL RECORD

PRINT BOOK RECORD

INTERNET SOURCES

Most current information Wide variety of topics Uneven reliability NOTE: Online ≠ free! It’s all about where you start

INTERNET RESOURCES

Search engines not all created equal! Subject directories organized links to

resources Online reference Reference sources

(dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.) Online periodicals Some are free Web portal may be general or subject-specific Professional & Trade organizations websites

provide industry news, directories, etc.

OTHER

Statistics and data sets Experts Multimedia Government publications

MULTIMEDIA RESOURCE

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YOU BE THE JUDGE!

PICK THE BEST SOURCE

What is the impact of drug use on adolescent mental health?

Encyclopedia of Psychology

Article in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors journal

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry website

Question/Topic Information Source

PICK THE BEST SOURCE

What is the impact of drug use on adolescent mental health?

Encyclopedia of Psychology

Article in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors journal

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry website

Question/Topic Information Source

PICK THE BEST SOURCE

Which U.S. insurance provider generated the most revenue in 2011?

Evaluating Business Performance: Small business case studies (book)

Business Insights: Essentials (online database of company data, history, and reports)

Question/ Topic Information Source

PICK THE BEST SOURCE

Which U.S. insurance provider generated the most revenue in 2011?

Evaluating Business Performance: Small business case studies (book)

Business Insights: Essentials (online database of company data, history, and reports)

Question/ Topic Information Source

PICK THE BEST SOURCE

What is the official language of Kazakhstan?

The Voice of the steppe : modern Kazakh short stories (book)

Article in Soviet & Post-Soviet Review (periodical)

CIA World Factbook at www.cia.gov (online reference)

Question/Topic Information source

PICK THE BEST SOURCE

What is the official language of Kazakhstan?

The Voice of the steppe : modern Kazakh short stories (book)

Article in Soviet & Post-Soviet Review (periodical)

CIA World Factbook at www.cia.gov (online reference)

Question/Topic Information source

WHERE TO GO NEXT?

In Galileo, Browse by Subject to find suggested

DatabasesPeriodicals

Books

Other reference

WHERE TO GO NEXT?Or, Browse by Type