What are Information Sources?

1. What are Information Sources? LIB 640 Information Sources and Services S ummer 2013

2. 2 What are information sources? http://karibouconnections.luminosacreative.com/wordpress/medlibafrica/training_module /

3. 3 What about reference sources? reference source Any publication from which authoritative information can be obtained, including but not limited to reference book s, catalog record s, printed index es and abstracting services , and bibliographic database s. Individuals and services outside the library that can be relied upon to provide authoritative information are considered resources for referral .

4. 4 And reference books? reference book A book designed to be consulted when authoritative information is needed, rather than read cover to cover. Reference books often consist of a series of signed or unsigned “ entries ” listed alphabetical ly under headword s or heading s, or in some other arrangement ( classified , numeric, etc.). The category includes almanac s, atlas es, bibliographies , biographical sources, catalog s, concordance s, dictionaries , directories , discographies and filmographies , encyclopedia s, glossaries , handbook s, index es, manual s, research guide s, union list s, yearbook s, etc., whether published commercially or as government document s. Long reference work s may be issue d in multivolume set s, with any indexes in the last volume. Reference works that require continuous updating may be published serial ly, sometimes as loose-leaf services.

5. 5 Another way to look at it What are reference books? They are those we ‘refer’ to. Referring is a very similar to the strategy of scanning. We use a reference book just to look up the odd fact or confirm a supposition. Look at the design of reference books - e.g. the Reference Book of Water and Weather and the Encyclopaedia of British Wild Animals . They are laid out so that the reader can very quickly access information. You do not read an encyclopaedia from cover to cover - you think what you want to know and then search for one very small area of text. Teaching Non-fiction? : Reading Reference Books By Bobbie Neate

6. July 2, 2013 6 Know your reference books When you pick up a reference book: Note the author and publisher, and perhaps the author's credentials. Check the copyright date. Given the type of information the tool covers, is it likely to be current enough? What is the purpose and scope of the book (check for preface)? Review the table of contents. What is the scope of the material? Is it biased toward one viewpoint? Review the index (if there is none, is that a significant drawback?). What approaches does the index use?

7. July 2, 2013 7 More know your books Page through to see what special features may be there. Are there photos? Charts and graphs? Appendices? What is the level of the book? Who is the intended audience? Make up a short “test” for the book. Think up some questions that you feel, based on the review you've done, that the book should be able to answer. Does it? Has anyone else on the staff had experience with this book? How do they feel about it?

8. 8 Arrangement of Reference Books http:// books.google.com/books?isbn=0787294489

9. Alphabetical order There are two methods of alphabetizing. The letter-by-letter system ignores punctuation and spaces between words. The word-by-word system organizes by the first word, then the second word, and so on. Here is an example:   Letter-by-letter Word-by-word Bookcase Book club Book club Book fair Bookend  Bookcase Book fair Bookend Glossary Of Library and Research Terms Introduction to Library Research 9

10. 10 Evaluating print sources Is the information recent? Select up-to-date, current information unless you are conducting historical research. This is particularly true in the sciences. Did an expert in the field prepare the information? Look for the author's credentials and affiliations. For citations to biographical material about an author, consult a biographical source, such as Biography and Genealogy Master Index , Contemporary Authors or Biography Index . Evaluating Print and Electronic Sources

11. 11 More evaluation guidelines Is the information from a reliable source? Choose information from a scholarly journal ( Finding Scholarly Journals ) or from a book published by a reputable publisher. Choose books that have received favorable reviews. Consult one of these indexes for citations to reviews: Book Review Index, Book Review Digest, Index to Book Reviews in the Humanities, Children’s Book Review Index, and Balay’s Guide to Reference Books. Does the writer seem to be represent material fairly and accurately? All argument shows bias because it attempts to persuade or influence its audience. However, guard against using information that seems unreasonably or unfairly biased. Who is the intended audience? Is the information for a specialized or general audience? Adapted from Evaluating Print and Electronic Sources

12. 12 Critical Evaluation of Resources How do you make sense of what is out there and evaluate its authority and appropriateness for your research? Suitability Authority Other indicators http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Evaluation.html

13. 13 Suitability Scope What is the breadth of the article, book, website or other material? Audience Who is the intended audience for this source? Timeliness When was the source published? Scholarly vs. Popular http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Evaluation.html

14. 14 Authority Who is the author? What are his or her credentials? Sometimes information about the author is listed somewhere in the article. Other times, you may need to consult another resource to get background information on the author. Sometimes it helps to search the author’s name in a general web search engine like Google . http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Evaluation.html

15. 15 Other indicators Documentation A bibliography, along with footnotes, indicate that the author has consulted other sources and serves to authenticate the information that he or she is presenting. Objectivity What point of view does the author represent? Primary vs. secondary research In determining the appropriateness of a resource, it may be helpful to determine whether it is primary research or secondary research. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Evaluation.html

16. Distinguish Between Primary and Secondary Sources 16

17. Distinguish Between Primary and Secondary Sources 17 Biographies Commentaries Dissertations Indexes, Abstracts, Bibliographies (used to locate primary & secondary sources) Journal Articles Monographs

18. What about Tertiary Sources? 18 You’ll find some differences in interpretation about these examples. As you see, s ome would consider encyclopedias secondary sources. See this guide from the University of Illinois, for example. http:// www.lib.umd.edu/ues/guides/primary-sources

19. Which is best: print or online? July 2, 2013 Information Resources 19 The full article is available on Canvas Source: Reference Librarian ; 2005, Issue 91/92, p39-51, 13p