Information Sources

Research typically involves using a variety of sources including:

• encyclopedias and dictionaries
• books
• videos
• articles from newspapers, magazines and journals
• websites

Journals vs Magazines

A Magazine is a glossy publication that is sold at the supermarket or other retail stores, for a few dollars each issue. They are written by journalists and contain second-hand accounts, often with no sources listed.

A Journal contains articles written by scholars and experts in their chosen fields and often contains first-hand research. Journals can also be peer-reviewed, which means that experts in the particular field also reviewed the research and declared it to be credible and well-documented.

The Finding Sources of Information Research Guide provides resources you can search for the information you need. 

Using Keywords & Phrases to Search Effectively of the Research Strategies Workshops provides additional tips and strategies for locating resources.