2-Types of Sources
After reading the sections of this chapter, you should be able to answer the following questions:
- How are information sources categorized and can they be in more than one category?
- How can advancing your understanding of information sources help you in the research process?
- What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative information? Can a source have both?
- What is the difference between a fact and an opinion? Between objective and subjective information?
- What is the difference between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources? Give an example of each publication mode.
- Could a source have both primary and secondary information? Give an example.
- Are tertiary sources acceptable as cited sources in college research projects?
- Why are information sources categorized by the expertise of its intended audience? Give an example of each source: popular, professional (trade), scholarly.
- Why are sources categorized by publication format?
- Why might sources created toward the end of the information life cycle be better for college research?
- Why are scholarly journal articles valued in college research? Where can you find them in full-text?
- When are news sources helpful to your research project? When are news sources of limited use?
- What is the difference between mainline and non-mainline news? What are some other types of news sources that you can use to find current and/or archived information?
- How can numeric data help to answer your research question? Where do you find data?
- Who qualifies as an expert?
