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Information sources are available in a variety of formats each with their own intended audience, purpose, and publication timeline. Identifying these formats can be tricky, especially through websites and databases. This guide will introduce several common formats and provide tips for recognizing different formats when searching in Search@UW and the databases.
Source | Visual Characteristics | Author(s) | Purpose | Audience | Examples |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Newspaper (Periodical) |
short; contains byline; no references; contains ads | written by journalists or staff writers; reviewed by an editor | to inform or comment on current local, national & international events | general public | New York Times; Green Bay Press Gazette; The Washington Post |
Magazines (Periodical) |
brief to medium length articles; no bibliography; extensive advertising | written by journalists or staff writers; reviewed by an editor | to inform, persuade, or entertain depending on audience | general public; special interest | Time; Newsweek; Psychology Today; GQ; Glamour |
Trade Publications (Periodical) |
brief to medium length articles; may contain references | written by staff writers, professionals, or experts in a profession or trade | to inform or report on industry news, trends, products, etc. | professionals within a field such as marketing, human resources, teaching, etc. | Nursing in Practice, Food Engineering, Publishers Weekly |
Scholarly Journals (Periodical) |
long articles with a methodology, discussion and conclusion; abstract; language is specialized to field; contains a long list of references | written by scholars or experts in a field; peer-reviewed | to inform, present original research, and communicate formally with other scholars | scholars, researchers, and experts in a field | Journal of Psychology; Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion; History and Anthropology |
Academic Books |
comprehensive and long with chapters; has a table of contents and index; extensive list of references | written by scholars or experts; reviewed by an editor in the field; published by an academic press | to inform, analyze, or communicate broad understanding or in-depth information | scholars, researchers and experts in a field; occasionally an educated audience | Wild Hope: On the Front Lines of Conservation Success; Evidence-based Practice in Clinical Social Work |
Reference Books |
short, authoritative entries; may contain a list of references; may identify an author | written by scholars or experts; reviewed by editor(s) | to inform and provide a brief overview of a topic | ranges from experts to general public | Encyclopedia of Human Development; The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English |
Government Documents |
ranges from short, brief reports to lengthy multi-volume items | written and reviewed by a group of researchers or government office | to inform, report, or record (ex: formal court proceedings); provides statistics or in-depth information on an issue | scholars, experts, lawmakers, and the general public | Congressional Record; Code of Federal Regulations; Occupational Outlook Handbook |
Multimedia |
radio, television, images, audio (podcasts), films, etc. | filmographers, documentarians, radio, television stations and networks, and general public | to inform, persuade, and/or entertain | typically intended for the general public | Audio of NPR segment, Race: The Power of an Illusion (documentary), Lost |
Websites |
ranges from a few webpages of content to several webpages; usually identified by the domain: .com/.org/.edu/.gov | anyone -- includes general public | to inform, persuade, entertain, or promote misinformation | anyone -- ranges from general public to experts | World Health Organization -- who.int; SportsBlog.com; Buzzfeed.com; American Diabetes Association -- diabetes.org |
The sources listed above are among the most common found when researching, but there are several other types of sources you may come across.
A periodical is a newspaper, magazine (popular & trade), or journal published at regular intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, every 6 months, etc.) Here are some examples.
Academic Journal: Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) |
Popular Magazine: Mother Jones |
Trade Magazine: Food Engineering |
Newspaper: Green Bay Press-Gazette |