Information format is the way information is shared or packaged. Each format has a different purpose and level of review. Here are some common types:
Primary Sources: First-hand evidence like diaries, photos, or government records.
Books: In-depth and usually well-researched, like textbooks or non-fiction books.
Journals: Scholarly articles that are reviewed by experts, such as The Economic Journal.
Magazines: Articles for general interest; less strict review, like Time or National Geographic.
Newspapers: News and current events; published quickly, less fact-checking, like The New York Times.
Websites: Can be anything from official to personal; credibility varies.
Social Media: Posts by anyone, published instantly, not reviewed.
Video: Can be made by anyone or professionals; review levels vary, like YouTube or TED Talks.
Audio: Podcasts or audio stories; usually not reviewed.
Media: News reports or documentaries; some editorial oversight, but it varies.
Knowing the format helps you decide how much to trust the information.
A source is any piece of information you use, like an online article, a newspaper story, a research paper, or a YouTube video.
How sources are created matters:
Immediate sources (like social media posts or breaking news): Made quickly, little to no fact-checking. Example: a tweet about a campus event.
Intermediate sources (like news articles or magazine features): Made by professionals, some research and editing. Example: a local newspaper article.
In-depth sources (like academic journals or scholarly books): Made by experts, with lots of research and review. Example: a research paper.
Why this matters:
Sources made with more research and review are usually more reliable and detailed.
Knowing how and why a source was created helps you determine whether you can trust it and whether it fits your assignment.
Think of sources like food: fast food (immediate) is quick but not always the best; home-cooked (intermediate) is better; gourmet (in-depth) is the highest quality. For college work, aim for more "gourmet" sources.
Always choose the right type of source for your needs—sometimes, you need quick information, but for research, go for deeper, well-reviewed sources.
Popular sources are created for the general public and are published quickly. They include:
News websites (like CNN or BBC)
General magazines (like Time or National Geographic)
Social media posts
Blog articles
You’ll also find statistics in these sources, such as:
Infographics in newspapers
Poll results on news sites
Stats in magazine articles
These sources are easy to read and up-to-date, but may not be as deeply researched or reviewed as academic sources.
Formal (professional) sources are more reliable than popular sources, but they usually don’t undergo the same peer review as scholarly sources. They provide trustworthy and well-researched information.
Examples include:
Government publications
Non-fiction books and textbooks
Reports from respected organizations
Primary sources like original documents or data
Examples of statistics you might find:
Census data from government agencies
Economic data from central banks
Health stats from the World Health Organization
Historical records and archives
These sources are great for solid, fact-based information and are often used in serious research.
Scholarly sources are written by experts for other experts or students. They go through a careful review process called peer review, which means other specialists check the work for accuracy before it’s published. These sources are meant to share new research, theories, or deep analysis, not to entertain or sell something.
Examples of scholarly sources:
Academic journal articles
Peer-reviewed research papers
Dissertations and theses
Examples of statistics in scholarly sources:
Detailed data analyses in research papers
Data sets published in journals
Meta-analyses that combine results from many studies
Scholarly sources are the gold standard for academic research because they are reliable, well-researched, and backed by evidence.
Source Evaluation Challenge
Instructions: For each source listed below, indicate whether it is:
Scholarly (S) or Popular (P)
Example: A peer-reviewed research article in a scientific journal
Answer: S
