1.2: The Many Forms of Information

Information comes in many formats. Each format is created with a different audience and purpose in mind. Social media posts serve a different purpose from magazine articles. Information comes in many formats, each with unique characteristics and purposes. Let's break down some common types of information sources you’ll encounter:

Print Sources

• Books: Books are traditional print sources that cover a wide range of topics in depth. They are often well-researched and take time to publish, which means they provide reliable, more permanent information. Textbooks, novels, and reference books like encyclopedias fall into this category. Books are often useful for research and particularly for gathering background information to learn more about a topic.
• Magazines and Newspapers: These are periodicals, meaning they’re published regularly (daily, weekly, or monthly). They provide current information on a variety of topics. Newspapers focus on daily events and news, while magazines often cover specific interests, such as fashion, sports, or science, sometimes with a lighter tone than books. Newspapers can be useful for researching events and news, but magazines aren't often considered useful research sources.

Definition: Reference Books  

A reference book is a book designed to provide specific information or facts on a topic, organized to make that information easy to look up. This includes dictionaries and encyclopedias.

Digital Sources

• Websites: Websites can be formal or informal sources of information. Some websites, like those ending in .gov or .edu, are often considered trustworthy because they’re run by governments or educational institutions. Others may vary in reliability, so it’s important to check who runs the site and what their goals are.
• E-books: Electronic books are digital versions of printed books. They’re accessible online or through apps, offering the same in-depth information but in a format you can read on screens. eBooks often also include other features allowing highlighting or note taking.
• Social Media and Blogs: Social media platforms (like Twitter or Instagram) and blogs allow people to share information quickly. They can offer up-to-the-minute details, opinions, or perspectives on current events or trends. These sources are often informal and can vary widely in reliability. Sometimes they can be useful for particular types of research, but are not often used. However, social media posts are often the subject of research!

Formal Sources

• Academic Journals: Academic journals publish research studies and articles written by experts in specific fields, such as medicine, engineering, or history. They’re typically “peer-reviewed,” meaning other experts have reviewed the work before it’s published, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
• Trade Journals: These are publications aimed at professionals in specific industries like healthcare, technology, or marketing. Unlike academic journals, which publish original research, trade journals focus on practical information and updates within a field, such as industry trends, best practices, and new products. Articles are usually written by experts in the industry, and while they may not be peer-reviewed, they’re valuable for staying up-to-date with current developments and understanding real-world applications within a profession.
• Reports and White Papers: These documents are often published by organizations, governments, or think tanks to provide detailed research on a specific topic. They are useful for in-depth analysis of complex subjects, especially in fields like economics, science, or public policy. These can often be useful for research.
• Encyclopedias and Dictionaries: These reference sources provide reliable, factual information on a wide range of topics, making them useful for quick, accurate details.

Definition: Peer Review  

Peer review is a process where experts in a field evaluate a researcher's work before it is published. This is intended to to ensure the accuracy and credibility of published work.

Informal Sources

• Blogs, Forums, and Personal Websites: While these sources can be valuable for learning about personal experiences or opinions, they lack the rigorous editing and fact-checking that formal sources have. They’re good for understanding trends, opinions, or personal stories, but less reliable for factual information.
• Social Media Posts and Comments: Social media provides a constant flow of informal information. While it’s a great way to see what people are talking about in real time, the information is often brief and may not be accurate. Always check these details with more reliable sources.

Each of these formats has a place in research and learning. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each type, you can make informed decisions about where to look for trustworthy information based on your needs.

Information Creation Cycle

The information creation cycle is the process by which information is produced, shared, and evolves over time. It begins when an event or idea sparks the creation of new information and follows a general pattern:

1. Immediate Sharing (Minutes to Hours): Right after an event occurs, information is often shared informally through social media, blogs, or news websites. This information is quick and current but may lack depth and accuracy.

2. News Reports (Hours to Days): Professional journalists gather and verify information to create news articles or broadcast reports. These provide more reliable, organized information than social media but are still focused on timely updates. They are often written by journalists who are not usually experts in the topics they're writing about.

3. Magazines and Periodicals (Weeks to Months): Over the next few weeks or months, magazines or industry publications analyze the event or topic, often providing more detailed and reflective information, along with expert opinions.

4. Academic and Peer-Reviewed Publications (Months to Years): Researchers and scholars conduct in-depth studies, which are published in academic journals. These sources offer highly reliable, detailed insights, but they take longer to produce and publish. This begins a scholarly conversation that continually develops new perspectives and information.

5. Books and Encyclopedias (Months to Years): Books and reference materials provide comprehensive coverage and analysis. They are thoroughly reviewed and edited, making them some of the most in-depth and reliable sources available, but they are often the last to be published in the cycle.

Understanding this cycle helps in choosing the right type of source based on how current, reliable, or in-depth the information needs to be. When information is published in this cycle impacts the information that the author has available to them, affecting their perspective when passing on the information.

[Untitled Image by Priscilla Du Preez is licensed under the Unsplash license.]

What is the Scholarly Conversation?

The scholarly conversation is an ongoing, collaborative exchange of ideas, research, and perspectives among scholars, researchers, and students. According to the Association of College & Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy, this conversation involves people sharing their work, debating findings, and building on each other’s ideas to create new knowledge in a given field (ACRL Board). It’s like a discussion that happens over time through published articles, books, conference presentations, and other forms of scholarly communication.

Students play an important role in the scholarly conversation. Here’s how they can factor into it:

1. Engaging with Sources: By reading and analyzing research in their field, students join the conversation as listeners and learners. They gain an understanding of key questions, common methodologies, and ongoing debates.

2. Asking Questions and Doing Research: When students start asking their own questions and conducting research, they begin to add their unique perspectives to the conversation. Even if their work is informal or just for class, they’re practicing the skills needed to contribute knowledge.

3. Writing and Sharing Ideas: Through essays, research papers, and presentations, students communicate their interpretations and insights. This sharing, even at the classroom level, is an early step in contributing to the broader conversation.

4. Developing Critical Thinking: By evaluating sources and understanding different viewpoints, students learn to think critically and engage in scholarly debates thoughtfully and respectfully. This skill is crucial for contributing responsibly and ethically to the conversation.

 

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Sources

• ACRL Board. "Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education." Association of College & Research Libraries. February 2, 2015. https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework. Accessed October 30, 2024.