Information Sources

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Information Sources
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Content

• Primary verus Secondary sources
• Scholarly versus Non-scholary sources

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Primary versus secondary sources

• There are basically two types of sources used in
  research
• The distinction is based on
• at what point along the timeline the
• information is recorded

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Primary Sources

• A document, or other sort of evidence, written
  during the time under investigation, or data
  resulting from original research
• For example
• Diaries, personal journals, some government
  documents, interviews, some newspaper articles,
  original research found in scholarly journals

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Secondary sources

• An interpretation or analysis of primary sources.
  One step removed from the event. Often written by
  somebody not present at the event.
• For example
• Textbooks, encyclopedia, literature reviews,
  journal articles that are not primary reports of
  new research, some newspaper articles which no
  not give first-hand accounts.

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A note of warning

• It is very important to remember the following
  when using information sources.
• Any source may be biased, one-sided and emotional
• Any source used must be analysed and evaluated

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Scholarly versus non-scholarly sources

• In academic research it is important to
  distinguish between scholarly and non-scholalry
  sources.
• The distinction is often hard to make in the
  levels of scholarship in periodicals (journals,
  magazines and newspapers)
• Generally the word journal in a periodical title
  implies scholarly orientation magazine implies a
  popular orientation.
• However this is NOT ALWAYS THE CASE

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Scholarly
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Non-scholarly