LibGuides: Information Literacy, Level One: Library sources & web sources

Library sources & web sources

Library sources vs. web sources

Flip through the carousel below using the black arrow buttons to learn more about library and web sources.

The information available in the library's resources is:

More likely to be reliable. Library sources such as books, journals, and newspapers are overseen by editors, who help ensure that the information they contain is accurate and can be trusted.
Hand-selected by librarians. Our library has purchased or subscribed to these resources because they are highly regarded and relevant to Meredith's curriculum.
Valuable enough that it's not free on the Web. Resources like journal articles or books are only available by purchase or subscription. Our library provides access to these proprietary sources with the help of your tuition money!

There will be times when it's totally appropriate to search the Internet for help with a research assignment. Here are some examples:

Researching topics that are very current or related to pop culture
Finding the latest statistics in areas such as crime, health and the economy
Looking for company press releases, policies, and social media
Seeking out copyright-free images for your presentation or paper
Finding recent bills, laws, regulations and government reports

Here are some important things to keep in mind when using information found on the Web:

Search engines like Google do not always consider source quality when giving you their top results.
It's crucial to evaluate any webpage for factors like the author's credentials, use of good sources, and how recently it was written or updated.
The website's domain (for example, .gov or .edu) doesn't necessarily tell the whole story. For example, student papers are sometimes published on .edu websites, and .gov websites can contain biased, fact-free statements from politicians. Instead, use the ABC test (explained in the Evaluating Information page) to evaluate your web source.

Types of library sources on the information timeline

From the moment an event happens, a variety of different types of library publications about it begin to emerge. The chart above shows these types of sources on an "information timeline," starting at left when the event occurs. Sources at different points on the timeline bring different strengths and shortcomings to your research.

Click through the information timeline below to learn more about each type of source:

Cover page of the Raleigh newspaper

Timing: Days after an event

Writers: Journalists and reporters

Articles are based on: Interviews with people involved, witnesses, and sometimes expert commentators

Best for: News and facts, plus first-hand reactions and perspectives. Editorial articles are useful for opinions on issues

Issues: May contain inaccuracies since the full story isn't known yet. Often have political bias on controversial topics

Cover of Architectural Digest magazine

Timing: 1-4 weeks after an event

Writers: Journalists and freelance authors

Articles are based on: Interviews with people involved as well as experts and authorities on the subject

Best for: News with more analysis and context, plus feature stories on people, groups, or events

Issues: May contain some inaccuracies, but overall offer deeper reporting and analysis than newspapers. Many magazines have a specific political point of view that influences their commentary

Cover of the Journal of the American Chemical Society

Timing: Many months later

Writers: Professors and scholars

Articles are based on: Original research that follows scholarly guidelines for that subject

Best for: Scholarly studies that provide evidence for your argument. These articles offer in-depth analysis, experimental findings, and/or criticism

Issues: Scholarly articles usually have a very specific focus. They are mostly useful once you've narrowed down your research topic and have already read broad overviews about it in encyclopedias, books, or magazines

Cover of the book "The Russo-Ukrainian War"

Timing: Over a year later

Writers: Either scholars or professional authors, depending on the type of book

Based on: Original research, published studies, interviews, and the author's own knowledge

Best for: Broader overviews of a topic, including history and theory as well as analysis

Issues: Books have more space than articles to go in-depth as well as present the bigger context. They're more likely to be accurate than newspaper and magazine articles because there's been time to get the facts right. However, they're not as current as scholarly articles, and lack the firsthand perspectives of news articles

Cover of the Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Health

Timing: Several years later

Writers: Scholars with expertise in the encyclopedia's subject matter

Based on: Background information, plus summaries of the key findings of important books and scholarly articles on the subject

Best for: Learning basic information on a particular topic, and finding possible keywords and research questions for searching

Issues: These are a great starting point, but they lack the depth and originality to be main sources for your research. They tend to be fairly unbiased and accurate; however, they can be out of date and won't include the latest developments and findings