Types of Resources

It is important to be familiar with several types of information sources. You may be asked, for instance, to use 2 books and 3 articles as sources for a term paper. Even if you are not required to use specific resources, it is always good to know your options. One common misconception is that anything can be found easily on the Internet. Often, traditional resources, such as books, are easier to use and contain better information. Here is an overview of the major types of information sources:

Books

More often than not, the Library will have a book or books related to your topic. Books will often cover a topic in depth, and the information is usually trustworthy. On the other hand, some books may be out-of-date, and you may have to sift through a lot of information to get what you want.

Circulating books, located in the old Library wing, may be borrowed from the Library with a valid PCCC id or a library card from a local library. Reference books, located in the new wing, may be taken to the old wing to make photocopies. You may search for books by using the Library Catalog. Follow this link for more information on how to search for books in the Library.

Two types of books deserve special mention. Encyclopedias are a type of information resource that contains overviews of a variety of subjects. Encyclopedias are a great tool for starting your research. Follow this link for more information on how to use Encyclopedias.

Biographies are information resources about the lives of people. Follow this link for more information on how to find information on a person.

Periodicals (Articles)

When doing serious research, you will often have to consult the periodical literature. "Periodicals" is just another name for "magazines." Newspapers are considered a type of periodical. Articles from periodicals often provide the most up to date information on a topic. However, finding relevant articles is often a difficult task.

The easiest way to find relevant periodical literature is to use one of our Online Databases. These databases contain the full-text of articles from thousands of periodicals in many subject areas. Follow this link for more information on how to find articles using the online databases.

Another way you can find relevant periodical literature in the Library is to select Periodicals. You will then see an alphabetical list of periodicals that may contain information relevant to your topic, and you can browse the contents of these periodicals for relevant articles.

The Internet

As stated above, it is a common misconception that anything can be easily found on the Internet. The Internet may contain up to millions of Web pages on a given topic, pages which are often not arranged in any systematic fashion. However, the Internet is an excellent resource for certain types of information, including information on companies, schools, the government, entertainment, and the latest news. Follow this link for more information on using the Internet to find information.

Also see:
- Scholarly vs Popular Information (Utah Acad. Lib. Consortium)
- Reference Sources (California St. Univ. system)
- Publishing & Types of Publications (Utah Acad. Lib. Consortium)