Types of Information Sources
Different assignments require information from a variety of sources. You need to understand where to go to find certain types of information.
Do you know the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary information sources? The following sites provide information which may be useful:
- University of Maryland Libraries Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sources
- Auburn University Library Identifying Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
Further help
- Contact your Liaison Librarian for further assistnce in your specific subject area.
- UQ Student Services Learning has further information on writing assignments.
| Type of Information | Why you would use it | Where you can find it |
|---|---|---|
| Reference information at a glance | Good source of factual and statistical information or giving an overview of a subject area. |
Dictionaries and encyclopedias are good for an overview: facts, figures, addresses, statistics, definitions and dates. The Library has online dictionaries and encyclopedias in the Quick Reference electronic collection. The Subject Guides can also suggest useful encyclopedias and dictionaries in your subject area. |
| Books in an academic research library | Use books when looking for an overall background on an issue or an intense analysis of a theory or person. |
Books can be:
|
| Articles from magazines, journals, newspapers etc. | There are various types of articles: Scholarly, Peer reviewed, Magazine, Newspapers, to name a few. Many focus on a specific area or discipline and are published more frequently than books. |
They can be available in print or electronic format. See the How-to guide for an explanation of the different types of articles in Explaining journal articles Want to find good articles faster? See the How-to guide Database searching Want to find Newspaper articles? See the How-to guide News & Newspapers You will need to evaluate information that hasn't come from a scholarly source. See the How-to guide Evaluating Information Resources |
| Web pages | Ease of access and availability of open access material including government websites and reports. |
Information on the internet should be evaluated - not all information is unbiased or even accurate. How can you judge? See the How-to guide Internet Resource Evaluation. Want to find good information from the Internet more quickly? See the How-to guide Internet (Web) searching. |
| Company information | Information about a company |
The Library has a Subject guide for Company Information. The Library subscribes to databases where you can also find company information. Have a look at Databases by Subject and choose Business Official Stock Exchange websites such as the Australian Securities Exchange and the Australian Stock Exchange provide in-depth information about listed companies. Many companies have official web sites which they maintain. If the company is not listed on a stock exchange you will have to look at their web site. On these sites you may find out information about the company, any products, and information about its financial situation such as annual reports. The Library's Quick Reference collection has a listing of Business Directories. |
| Reports and official documents | Governments, organisations and companies publish reports and other official documents and these are a good place to find detailed information about a specific issue. |
The Library collects many of these documents. Access to reports and official information is available via the Library catalogue. Increasingly governments and other organisations are making their official reports available online. Evaluate the information you find as you would from any source. |
| Statistics |
Statistics are applicable to most disciplines but often difficult to find. |
The Library subscribes to databases where you can also find statistics information. Have a look at Databases by Subject and choose Statistics. The Library has a Subject guide for International Statistics |
| Specialist information | Usually resources such as maps, patents, standards, educational tests etc. | The Library provides access to a wide range of specialist information. Have a look at the various How-to guides to find out how to locate specialist information sources. |
| Grey literature |
"Information produced on all levels of government, academics, business
and industry in electronic and print formats not controlled by
commercial publishing i.e. where publishing is not the primary activity
of the producing body." (Luxembourg, 1997 - Expanded in New York,
2004)" GreyNet
|
List of document types in grey literature from GreyNet Some common examples of grey literature and help finding them. |
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