Library

Module: Management of Academic Information

Unit 3: Information Sources
Presenter: R. Zidya
Email: rzidya@uzlib.uz.ac.zw
 Presentation Overview

Introduction
Learning outcomes
Information Sources Defined
Types of Information Sources
Activities
Conlusion
References and Recommended Reading List
 Learning objectives

By the end of this unit students should be able to;

 Understand how information is generated and made available.
 Appreciate the various types of information sources and the context in which
they are best used.
 Understand the type of information you needed to full fill a specific
information.
 Learning Outcomes

By the end of the Unit students should:

Have an enhanced understanding of the different types of
information sources
 Efficiently choose a type of information source needed for a
specific information need based on suitability
Effectively distinguish between primary, secondary and tertiary
sources of information; scholarly and popular articles
 Introduction

 Information, as an invaluable resource is being disseminated,

transformed and communicated various environments and forms
 Mostly available in electronic -media and needs electronic handling
 Which is cost-effective and users get pin-pointed information with the help
of powerful search engines
 Defining Information sources

Information is a term with several meanings depending upon the context and is
closely related to concepts such as knowledge, instruction, data and
communication
In terms of data, it can be defined as a collection of facts from which
conclusions can be drawn.
In terms of knowledge, it is something, which we acquire individually
through experience and education.
Information sources are the various means by which information is recorded
for use by an individual or an organisation.
 Basic Types of Information Sources

The next thing you need to understand is the basic categories of

information sources!
All recorded sources of information are classified into very basic
categories based on their information content type. These are:—
Primary Sources,
Secondary Sources, and
Tertiary sources of information
Primary sources of information
Secondary sources of information
Tertiary sources of information
 Information formats

ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SOURCES PRINT FORMATS

Further categories of information
sources
Online databases & Websites
 Uses of information sources

Books: Books cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction.

Used when looking for lots of information on a topic; to put your topic in context with other important issues;
to find historical information; to find summaries of research to support an argument; looking for information to
support an argument
Academic journals: A collection of articles usually written by scholars in an academic or professional
field.
Used when doing scholarly research; to find out what has been studied on your topic; to find bibliographies that
point to other relevant research


 Activity

Briefly describe each of the following information source types,

identify what they are best used for, and give examples for each.
Websites
Reference Books
Popular Magazines
Trade Magazines
Newspapers
 Scholarly versus Popular sources of
information
Scholarly sources of information
Scholarly sources of information are authored by
scholars, professionals, or experts in the area.
Report original and significant research in a
particular discipline.
Focus on current scientific research topics
Are meant for scholarly audience and are called
scholarly journals.
Popular sources of information
Popular magazines are devoted to a certain
subject and feature articles written in easy
language on that subject.
Are published to inform, educate and entertain
the public .
Include information on popular personalities,
news and general interest articles.
General public
 Can you complete the table below?
Grounds for comparison Scholarly Trade Popular
Periodicals Magazines Periodicals
Authors & Publishers
Purpose
Target audience
Content & Coverage
Language
Appearance
Credibility of information source
Examples
 Conclusion
In this Unit,
We defined information sources
Outlined different approaches to categorise information sources
Explained the different uses of various information sources
The next Unit is on Finding Information
 References and Recommended Reading
List
Hodgson, J. (2004). Finding Legal Information: A Guide to Print and
Electronic Sources. Reference Reviews.
Osorio, M. A. (2005). Finding Legal Information: A Guide to Print and
Electronic Sources. Collection Building.
Pester, D. (2012). Finding Legal Information: A Guide to Print and Electronic,
Chandos Publishing.
Rao, I. R. K. (2000, March). Sources of information with emphasis on electronic
resources. In DRTC Annual Seminar on Electronic Sources of Information.