Strategy: Looking at Different Types of Reading Materials

Lori-Beth Larsen

2 Strategy: Looking at Different Types of Reading Materials

Information can come from virtually anywhere — media, blogs, personal experiences, books, journal and magazine articles, expert opinions, encyclopedias, and web pages. Look at the table below examining different sources of information. Notice the similarities between them.

Type	Information	Use	Examples
Magazine	A magazine is a collection of articles and images about diverse topics of popular interest and current events. Usually these articles are written by journalists or scholars.	-to find information or opinions about popular culture -to find up-to-date information about current events.	National Geographic Ebony Sports Illustrated People
Academic journal	A journal is a collection of articles usually written by scholars in an academic or professional field. An editorial board reviews articles.	-when doing scholarly research -to find out what has been studied on your topic	Journal of Communication The Historian Journal of the American Medical Association
Database	A database contains citations of articles in magazines, journals, and newspapers. They may also contain citations to podcasts, blogs, videos, and other media types.	-to find articles on your topic in magazines, journals or newspapers	Academic Search Complete (a general database) Compendex (an engineering database)
Newspapers	A newspaper is a collection of articles about current events usually published daily. Since there is at least one in every city, it is a great source for local information.	-to find current information about international, national and local events	Roanoke Times New York Times Suddeutsche Zeitung
Books	Books cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction. Books might synthesize all the information on one topic to support a particular argument or thesis.	-to find lots of information on a topic -to find historical information	Nash, Gary B. ed. The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society,1990.