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.
|
Built-In Practice: Types of Reading Materials
Add three more types of reading materials. Include at least one online type of reading material.
| Type | Information | Use | Example |