INFS 112

Introduction to information management

Session 2 – Types of Information

Lecturer: Dr. Perpetua S. Dadzie, Dept. of Information Studies

Contact Information: psdadzie@ug.edu.gh

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
2014/2015 – 2016/2017
 Session Overview
At the end of the session, the student will be
able to:
• Understand the different forms of information
which can satisfy your information need
• Identify the types of information available
• Identify the different sources of information

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 Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as
follows:
• Topic One - Forms of Information
• Topic Two - Types of Information
• Topic Three – Sources of Information

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 Reading List
• Elearn (2009). Information and Knowledge Management.
Revised Edition. Burlington, MA: Elsevier Ltd. (e-book). Pp. 7 –
9.

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 Topic One

FORMS OF INFORMATION

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 Forms of Information
Forms of information include:
• Internal and external – information generated inside the
organization and information generated outside
• Electronic, hard copy (paper-based) and spoken – Most
people use emails to communicate and send out
information to colleagues. Others also use conversation
with others for information
• Hard and soft – or quantitative and qualitative. Hard
information is often derived from large quantities of
precise factual data, such as figures (eg no. of users in a
library) that lends themselves to statistical interpretation.
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 Forms of Information (2)
Forms of information include:
Hard and soft – contd.
• Soft information tends to come from few sources and
depends on opinions, feelings, impressions and
judgments.
• Formal and informal -

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 Forms of Information (2)
Examples of formal information sources:
• Newspapers or electronic newsfeeds
• Magazine articles
• Management reports
• Staff manual
• Videos of library /archives procedures

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 Forms of Information (3)
Examples of informal information sources:
• Chat with University librarian
• Checking out a problem with a colleague
• Meeting with colleagues at conference, workshops
and seminars
• Informal contact with publishers and suppliers

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 Forms of Information (4)
Differences between formal and informal information
Formal
• Available to more than one person
• Information captured has been recorded in some
way, so can be reused
• Information used is selected by the recipient –eg. You
decide which newspaper reports you are going to
read
• Information tends to be static

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 Forms of Information (5)
Differences between formal and informal information
Informal
• May be an interchange between just two people
• The information is transient – not stored or
retrievable
• The information is selected by the provider
• Information is interactive

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 Topic Two

TYPES OF INFORMATION

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 Types of Information
• We need information for very specific
purposes e.g. when studying we may need it
in order to prepare our notes, to help revise
for an exam or just to give us specialist
knowledge of a particular aspect of the
programme.
• Types of information listed below will give you
a useful framework for thinking about your
information needs:
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 Types of Information (2)
• news (What's the latest on X? What is happening
about Y?)
• ideas and opinions (What do people think about X?)
• research results (What does the latest research tell
us about X?)
• theoretical analysis/theory (What are the different
theoretical perspectives on Y?)
• everyday practicalities (e.g. train timetables,
telephone numbers, maps)

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 Types of Information (3)
• facts and figures (How many cases of X were there last
year?)
• history or background (When did X start? What
happened?)
• people's experience (What is it like to suffer from X? Or
to use Y service?)
• advice or help (Can anyone help me with my work on Y?)
• technical information (How to mend Z)
• legal information

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 Topic Three

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

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 Sources of Information
• Three main sources of information: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary
Primary Information Source
• provides direct or first hand information about an event, person,
object, or work of art. Primary sources are contemporary to
what they describe. They are original materials which have not
been interpreted, condensed, or evaluated by a second party.
• Here are some examples of primary information sources.
• Diaries, Experiments, Poems, Personal correspondences
• Speeches, Paintings, Interviews, Annual reports of an
organization or agency, Patents, Court records

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 Sources of Information (2)
Secondary Information Sources
• analyses, interprets, or discusses information about a
primary information source. Secondary sources are
subsequent to what they describe, as they are produced at
some point after a primary information source appears.
Papers written by students typically contain mostly
secondary sources.
• Here are some examples of secondary information sources.
• Textbooks, Biographies, Magazine articles, Book reviews,
• Histories

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 Sources of Information (3)
Tertiary Information Sources
• lists, compiles, or indexes primary and secondary
information sources. These sources are most often
used to look up facts or to get a general idea about
something.
• Here are some examples of tertiary information
sources.
• Almanacs, Chronologies, Directories, Manuals,
Handbooks, Guidebooks, Indexes, Statistics

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 Activities
• Read about sources of information from:
http://gethelp.library.upenn.edu/PORT/sources/

• List eight information sources that you use on a

regular basis
• Categorise them as formal or informal, internal or
external, electronic, hard copy
• Identify your three most useful sources and analyse
why these are the most useful

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 Video
• Primary, Secondary ,Tertiary Sources
• <iframe width="420" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L5DdedR_iF8"
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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