Organization of Information
In this tutorial you will learn where information comes from and how it is organized.
	Information comes in a variety of formats. When writing a research paper you should keep in mind the best type of information for your needs. For example, magazines such as Time or Newsweek may not be the best choice for a research paper, but they would be helpful if you wanted to catch up on current events.
Where does information come from?
	a. Monographs - a written account of a single thing b. Anthologies - a collection of selected literary pieces or passages or works of art or music c. Reference - a work (as a dictionary or encyclopedia) containing useful facts or information (Source: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Online Dictionary)
Books:
	a. Monographs - a written account of a single thing b. Anthologies - a collection of selected literary pieces or passages or works of art or music c. Reference - a work (as a dictionary or encyclopedia) containing useful facts or information (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Online Dictionary)
Periodicals:
	a. Scholarly Journals - (this is the best type of information to use for research papers!) b. Magazines c. Newspapers
Non-Print Material:
	a. Television b. Film/Video c. Radio/Audio Tape d. Pictures
People:
	a. Interviews/Conversations b. Speeches c. Associations
Internet
	a. Library Databases b. Websites c. E-mail
Characteristics of Information
	Each type of information has certain characteristics listed below:
Characteristics of Books:
	a. In depth or comprehensive coverage of subject b. Historic c. Takes two years to publish d. Collection of articles on a similar topic e. fiction or nonfiction
Characteristics of Reference Books:
	a. Designed to find particular information (not read cover to cover) b. Provide facts and figures in an easy to find format c. Concise d. Guides to where to find information (bibliographies, almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, yearbooks, etc.)
Characteristics of Periodicals:
	a. Scholarly Journals: -Research articles -Written in formal style (1-abstract, 2-methodology, 3-outcomes) -Footnotes and Bibliographies -Graphs, charts, some illustrations -Published by Associations, Foundations, or Universities and are considered "peer reviewed" or "refereed" -Subject - narrow focus Examples: JAMA, Journal of Marriage and the Family, Adult Education Quarterly b. Magazines: -News -Slick, attractive, well illustrated -No bibliographies -Articles are usually short -Commercial, for profit -Author is usually a professional writer and not an expert in a particular subject area Examples: New Yorker, Glamour, Time c. Newspapers: -Short articles -No bibliographies -Little historical background
Characteristics of Nonprint:
	-Emphasis on visual and audio (not printed text) -Need equipment to access -Can be historic or as current as today's newscast -Usually not as comprehensive as books -Rarely provides footnotes or bibliographies
Characteristics of the Internet:
	-Millions of sources of information -Unregulated -Typically more current than books -Typically less accurate, depending on material or author -Search engine needed to find websites
Characteristics of Library Databases:
	-Millions of journal articles that are full text and non-full text -Contain mostly scholarly articles -Articles are reviewed and indexed -Typically more current than books -Typically more accurate than websites -Usually cannot be accessed without paid subscription
Characteristics of Oral Communication:
	-Usually life experience (autobiographical) -Can be in interview format -Considered primary source
Primary and Secondary Sources
Primary Sources: (first hand account)
	-A researcher who reports their findings in a scholarly journal -Diaries, letters, family records, journals -Statistics -Speeches, interviews, autobiographies -Novels (fiction) -Public documents, laws, treaties
Secondary Sources:
	-Magazine articles -Reviews of literature -Explanations or restatements -Biographies
Organization of Information
Possible ways of organizing information:
	1. Alphabetical by Name
	2. Alphabetical by Title
	3. Chronologically
	4. Statistically
	5. Subject (can be organized in alphabetical order)
	6. Geographically
	7. Computer Databases (can be searched by subject, keyword, author, title, etc.)
	Content by Jerry Dachs. Created by Victoria West-Pawl and Tracy Ruppman. Updated 7/11/05-tjr