Selecting Sources

Now that you know a little bit about the wide range of sources available to you, how do you select the best one for your research?

If you need: You might try:
  • background information, such as on diabetes, Frida Kahlo
  • historical information: history of Texas
  • statistics on the United States gross national product
  • broad overview on a topic, using information found in encyclopedias, such as the geography of Texas

Books, Encyclopedias & Other Reference Books

books

  • popular articles about new movies or current fashions, latest sports stars...
  • current information, such as current events
  • short articles
  • photos and illustrations

Magazines

magazines

  • scholarly articles, such as American economic trends
  • in-depth information, written by experts, such as human cloning
  • charts and graphs
  • statistics on the number of children immunized against diseases in the United States
  • recent research

Journals

journal

  • current information, such as a speech made yesterday by the owner of the Dallas Mavericks
  • current events, such as local election results
  • local Dallas news and events
  • information on local sports stories & local people
  • opinions and viewpoints

Newspaper

stack of newspapers

  • the name of your state or federal government representatives
  • weather report
  • late breaking news
  • opinions
  • product reviews for future purchases
  • company websites

Web

web URL bar

The modules included in this tutorial will walk you through how to locate information in all of these sources... giving you the tips and techniques to be a successful information searcher.

Ready! Let's begin!

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Module 1 - Starting Smart Contents Module Choice Terms Input Help Exit