Library: Library Research: The Basics: Types of Information

What am I looking for?

There are so many different types of information! Blogs, websites, books, articles, videos, podcasts, journals, dissertations. All of these types of information have a different purpose.

Consider a government website versus a newspaper editorial:

A government website is meant to inform you of that organization, what services they provide, latest information, and more.

A newspaper editorial is an opinion piece providing information on how the author feels about X topic they're writing about.

Watch the video below to distinguish between scholarly, trade, and popular articles. These are the types of articles you may be asked to use for your research assignment.

Resource Type	Common Characteristics
Popular Magazine Article (online or in print)	Audience: nonprofessional; anyone Appearance: glossy photos, many advertisements Content: general interest articles, no reference lists, simple language Authors: largely staff writers, often unknown Examples: Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, Maclean’s, Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan
Scholarly, Peer Reviewed Journal Article (online or in print)	Audience: professionals, researchers, academics Appearance: no advertisements, plain, black & white Content: original research, literature reviews, often contain abstracts, academic/professional language, often contain statistics/diagrams, long reference lists, peer-reviewed, academic Authors: many authors, with many credentials and affiliations Examples: Journal of Advanced Nursing, Journal of Applied Research, Journal of Food Safety
Trade Magazine/ Journal Article (online or in print)	Audience: industry professionals, organization/association members Appearance: glossy photos, most advertisements related to industry Content: current industry trends, new products or techniques, organizational news, articles may have short reference list, may contain professional language Authors: industry professionals, organization/association members Examples: Advertising Age, Women’s Wear Daily, The Police Chief, Canadian Nurse
Website/Blog (online or in print)	Audience: varies Content: varies Authors: vary in credentials, sometimes difficult to identify
Government/Association Publication and Information (online or in print)	Content: published and written by an association or a government, often includes country-specific data and statistics Authors: government workers, association members Examples: Health Canada, Statistics Canada, Ministry of Natural Resources, Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario
Book (online [eBook] or in print)	Authors: vary in credentials Content: varies
Newspaper Article (online or in print)	Audience: nonprofessional; anyone Content: current, journalistic, simple language, no reference list Authors: Writers/Journalists Examples: Toronto Star, The Guardian, the New York Times