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Information sources |
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Books, Serials, Internet |
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IMPORTANT - SAVE TIME
Knowing and understanding the types of information provided by each of these sources is necessary when you come to look for your required information. This basic knowledge will save you time and effort by helping you find what you really need. |
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 Books, Serials, Internet |
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Information sources are not all equal. It is important that you know and understand the differences between different publication types so that you can use them appropriately and correctly for your information needs.
Information can be gathered from a variety of sources, such as from books, magazines, TV, people, newspapers, and emails. In this chapter we will focus on information sources that you will need to be familiar with as a student at UNSW - books, serials and internet. |
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In general, books are publications written by and for a variety of audiences from general public to scholars and are more than 100 pages in length.
Some special categories of books include:
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Characteristics |
Use for... |
Reference books
Examples
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created for both general and specialised audiences |
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usually written by scholars or experts in a field |
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Not intended to be read as a whole work, but referred to in parts |
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for background information on a topic |
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definitions |
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facts |
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statistics |
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Academic books
Examples
Rothwell, J.C. (1994). Control of human voluntary movement (2nd ed.). London : Chapman & Hall.
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created for a specific audience |
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specific in subject coverage |
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to gain insight into a particular subject |
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can provide overview of a topic |
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Serials, also referred to as periodicals, are publications that are produced periodically (eg. weekly, monthly or quarterly). Some examples that you need to know are:
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The internet is a vast network of computers that are able to link to each other. When you view a website, you are accessing information stored on another computer. Anyone with the right skills and equipment can create a website on the internet. Internet resources are generally considered as the 'free' web.
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Characteristics |
Use for... |
Internet resources |
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audience is varied – general, researchers, students, scholars |
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can be written by anyone |
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content varied – online textbook, personal websites, companies, public service, etc. |
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needs to be critically evaluated |
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immediate coverage of an event |
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access to information not available in print |
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background information on a topic |
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additional coverage of a topic area |
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