Research Guides: Research Handbook: Common Types of Resources

Contain scholarly or peer-reviewed articles
Focus on a specific discipline
Published regularly
Contain articles written by experts
Articles are written for experts, not the general public
Contain the most up-to-date information and research in industry, business, and academia, as of the date of publication

Usually contain more dated information than found in journals or newspapers due to the time it takes to publish a book
Often covers topics in greater depth than articles due to being longer

Use flashy adjectives
Are not published by a professional organization
Contain a lot of advertisements, and some have nothing to do with the subject of the publication
Contain articles written by a writer or editor with no other expertise listed
Contain articles written for anyone and not targeted to a specific profession or field
The purpose of the article is to entertain or inform on a variety of topics not related to any one profession or field
Does not provide a list of sources at the end of the article

A collection of many journals, magazines, eBooks, videos, images, music, or other resources
Accessible online
Searchable by subject, author, title, date, creator, or other criteria

Contain very up-to-date information as of the date of publication
Cover the latest events and trends as of the date of publication
Publish both factual and opinion-based articles
Due to journalistic standards of objectivity, do not always take a 'big picture' approach or contain information about larger trends
Mainly focus on the facts relevant to the specifics of the story
Often contain simple fact-reporting pieces rather than in-depth investigations

An umbrella term that includes resources that come out on a regular basis
Examples include academic journals, newsletters, magazines, newspapers, and trade publications

Provide first-hand information that is factual without analysis or interpretation by those who were not there
May be from the time the incident occurred (contemporary) or created at a later date by someone with first-hand knowledge
May be words, images, sounds, an object, or something else

Provide second-hand information, removed from the event
May include analysis or interpretation
May be from the time the incident occurred (contemporary) or created at a later date
Created by someone without first-hand knowledge of the event

Contain the most up-to-date information and research in industry, business, and academia, as of the date of publication
Do not contain giveaways or flashy adjectives
Published by professional organizations
Contain only a few advertisements, but they are about products relevant to the trade
Authors work in the field the publication serves
Written for people who work in the field the publication serves
The purpose of the articles is to inform professionals about issues, techniques, or developments in the field
May provide a list of sources at the end of the article

Common Types of Resources

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