Information Formats

1
Information Formats

• And Their Characteristics

Questions about this activity? Contact Kimberley
Stephenson at kstephenson_at_apu.edu
2
Introduction

• This brief presentation will help you understand
  the differences between information formats, so
  that you can choose the appropriate online
  research tools.

3
Introduction

• There are essentially three categories of
  scholarly information books, journal articles,
  and so-called grey literatureanything that
  appears outside traditional publishing
  channels, including dissertations/theses,
  reports, presentations, manuals, Web sites, etc.
• In the next few slides, well examine these
  formats in more detail.

4
Books

• Books are a scholarly format familiar to most
  people. But did you know that there are different
  types of scholarly books?
• A book on a library shelf may be one of three
  types a reference book, a monograph, or an
  edited volume.
• Reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries,
  handbooks, directories) contain background
  information about a variety of topics, and are
  not designed to be read all the way through.

5
Books

• Reference books are a good place to start your
  research, as they offer brief overviews of your
  topic, and will usually direct you to additional
  sources.
• Monographs are usually written by one author on a
  single topic.
• Edited volumes contain chapters addressing a
  general theme. Each chapter is written by a
  different author, then compiled into one volume
  by an editor.

6
Books

• Although these three types of books are quite
  different in scope and purpose, there are some
  common features.
• Books are often quite lengthy, which generally
  means that they cover issues thoroughly and
  provide lots of background information. This is
  especially true of scholarly monographs.
• Second, books often take a long time to move from
  the writing stage to the library shelf. This long
  process often means that the information in books
  is historical in nature.

7
Articles

• Unlike books, which are generally published once
  and occasionally re-published in new editions,
  periodicals are information formats that are
  published with new content on a regular basis.
• The contents within these periodicals are called
  articles.

8
Articles

• Although the key distinction of periodicals is
  that they are published on a regular basis, they
  do appear with varying frequency.
• For example, articles could be published daily in
  a newspaper or Web site, weekly/monthly in a
  magazine, or quarterly in a scholarly journal.
• Because articles are generally shorter than
  books, and published more frequently than books,
  they are generally more likely to contain current
  information than books.

9
Articles

• Periodicals may be popular or scholarly.
• Facts about popular sources (i.e., magazines)
• Articles are intended for a broad, general
  audience.
• Articles are usually written by people who work
  for the publisher and who may or may not have
  training in the field they discuss.
• Articles are often illustrated and appear
  alongside advertisements. They are intended to
  help sell the magazine, as well as to inform the
  public.
• The editor and publisher are the only people who
  judge the articles before they are printed.
  Articles may reflect the opinions of the editor
  or publisher.

10
Articles

• Facts about scholarly sources (i.e., journals)
• Articles focus on a specific subject and address
  a specialized audience.
• Articles are written by one or more authors with
  knowledge of and training in the field or
  discipline.
• Articles are presented in a specific way, often
  headed by abstracts and with cited references,
  and are usually not illustrated, although there
  may be charts, graphs, or tables.
• Scholarly journals do not usually contain
  advertising, because their publication costs are
  covered by membership and subscription fees.

11
Articles

• Visual/contextual clues can help you determine
  whether an article is popular or scholarly
• Length Scholarly articles are usually lengthy
  and detailed popular articles are often short.
• Bibliography Scholarly articles always cite
  sources popular articles usually do not.
• Author information Scholarly articles list the
  authors name and background popular articles
  may not.
• Physical appearance Popular articles usually
  contain ads and photographs scholarly articles
  usually dont.
• If in doubt, ask a librarian whether a particular
  article is considered scholarly.

12
Grey Literature

• In general, the term grey literature describes
  scholarly content that is not published through
  traditional book or periodical channels.
• Grey literature is often produced by government
  agencies and universities, and can include such
  diverse formats as dissertations/theses, reports,
  presentations, manuals, pamphlets, and Web sites.
• Grey literature is often difficult to locatebut
  librarians can help you track down these obscure
  sources.

13
Summary

• In this tutorial, weve covered
• Books
• Articles and
• Grey literature, including Web information.
• Remember that you can contact a librarian any
  time for help with any of these steps. Just visit
  our Research Help page for more information.