Evaluating Resources:
Which Sources Are Right for Your Research?

Key Points | World Wide Web | Periodicals | Books

Any time your search for information, it is important to have a sense of the kind of information that you need before you begin your search. Do you need up-to-the-minute information? Statistics? In-depth history and background or a quick overview? All of these questions will help you determine what information source will best suit your needs.

This page provides some basic information on what kind and type of information can be found on the Web, in periodicals, and in books. Depending on the type of research you are doing, it is also important to know how current the information is in the publication that you are using. The point of view or the bias of the person who put together the sources that you are consulting is also a key element in evaluating information.

Summary Chart for Key Points About Information Sources
(click on the titles of each column for more detailed information
about the characteristics of each source)

	WWW	Periodicals	Books
Current	some news sites updated hourly	information from 1 day to several months	process takes up to 9 months to 2 years from conception to publishing
Type of Information	usually short news summaries or bits of information	provide a good overview of a topic or a concise summary	in-depth information with supporting facts, statistics, tables and illustrations
Reliability of information	unregulated, must check source/author or domain to determine reliability	articles go through editorial boards that check content rigorously	edited and checked to insure that facts and statistics are correct
The Bottom Line	most current but sometimes less reliable	reliable and fairly current	reliable and least current

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World Wide Web

■ information found on the World Wide Web is most current, often updated daily – sometimes hourly.

■ information rarely has to go through the same kind of scrutiny necessary for print materials.

■ information is often presented in a short, summarized fashion -- with some exceptions.

■BUT, some very lengthy reports have appeared more quickly on the Web than in print. (Examples: Ken Starr’s report in 1998 and the Unabomber’s Manifesto in 1995)

■Sometimes it is difficult to determine where the information came from.

What are some of the things to look for when evaluating a web site?

■Author/Publishing Body: check links labeled "About Us," "Contact," or "History" -- those links often tell you about the person or organization that has compiled the information on a website. Knowing that, you can tell if they have a specific bias that might have an influence on the information presented on the site.

■Last date updated: If you are looking for current information, it is important to use a website that is updated regularly.

■Point of view: Domain names refer to geographical divisions (such as state and country names) as well as to categories of organizations. These domain names often provide useful clues about the origin of the information provided at the website.

Domain Names Domain names identify the source of information at a website. The most common domain names are: .com for commercial organizations and businesses .edu for educational institutions .gov for federal government organizations .mil for military organizations .net for Internet organizations .org for non-profit organizations

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Periodicals

■Can also use the terms magazine (usually for newsstand-type publications) or journal (for more scholarly publications)

■Periodicals are publications issued on a regular schedule

■Many periodicals are available online through subscription databases like EBSCOhost. Though they are available electronically, they have the same content as print periodicals.

■Many sorts of periodicals are available.

■Newspapers are published daily (Providence Journal, New York Times)
■News magazines are published weekly (Time, Newsweek)
■Technical and professional journals are published monthly, every other month, and sometimes quarterly (The Surgical Technologist, Machine Design, Computer Graphics World)
■Scholarly journals are often published quarterly (American Journal of Sociology, Journal of Communication)

What are some of the benefits of using periodicals for research?

■Depending on the type of periodical that you use, the information included is documented in different ways. Professional and technical journals are more likely to include references or additional readings that support the facts presented or the claims made in an article.

■Professional and technical journals often include a note (near the title or at the end of the article) describing someone’s authority to write about a topic.

EXAMPLES:
1. From Contracting Business: “Kevin O’Neill is vice president of HVAC at Carolina Cooling & Plumbing ... and has 23 years of industry experience.”
2. From The Surgical Technologist: “Maribeth Mills is a graduate of Springfield Technical Community College. She is currently working as a surgical technologist at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs, Connecticut.”

■Information presented in a periodical goes through an editorial board which will verify facts and insure that the information presented is checked and correct.

■Key points about information in periodicals:
1. up-to-date information
2. fairly concise presentations of information
3. facts checked by editorial boards

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Books

■Are the least current information sources but the most thoroughly researched and documented sources.

■Rigorous process of editing, verification, fact checking, and documentation.

■Often include numerous other references, glossaries, tables of contents and indexes which enable you to find information more quickly.

What are some of the benefits of using books for research?

■Easier to find specific information through tables of contents and index.

■Include a more in-depth approach to topics, including more detail and background information.

■Key points about information in books:
1. in-depth information
2. thoroughly researched and documented
3. less current than periodicals or the Internet