por We teach you what are the sources of information, the types that exist and we show you several examples.
What are the sources of information?
The information sources They are resources that are used to obtain data on one or several topics. Whenever an investigation is carried out, it is necessary to have various sources that can be consulted to gather details of the topic of interest and delve into it.
According to the needs of the researcher and the object of study, there are multiple formats and sources to researchranging from books, magazines, newspapers, surveys or documents from public institutions, to videos, films, letters and interviews.
Each source is valued in relation to the valuable, true and verifiable information that it can provide. For this, it is necessary collate or compare data between different sources that provide objectivity to the investigation.
Types of research sources
1. Primary sources
They are sources that contain original information. In this type there are several categories.
Journals: Periodical publications that can be both specialized and focused on dissemination among the general public. They can be accessed electronically or in their traditional printed format. The advantage of these types of sources is that they are usually cheaper than books and, in the case of digital sources, they can be accessed anywhere in the world.
Books: printed or electronic works that talk about the time or topic that is being investigated.
monographs: explanatory documents that break down a particular topic; they usually have visual support resources. They are characterized by their simple language and are of variable length. You can find them printed or digital.
newspapers: Daily publication source that provides background information about a particular event or moment.
Cards: epistolary documents that give an account of chronicles, thoughts and personal lives of those who wrote them. They are interesting to get closer to the particular look of someone who lived at a certain time and witnessed certain events.
speeches: texts prepared to participate in an exhibition or public presentation.
laws: norms of legal rank that were dictated by the authorities; establish mandates and prohibitions.
manuscripts: texts that were not published and that account for the position of the person who wrote them about a specific event or fact.
interviews: dialogue established with witnesses or people involved in a particular event or situation.
Videos/films: documentaries, series and audiovisual material that contains original information on a subject.
2. Secondary sources
Sources that do not contain complete information, but refer to primary sources, indicating where more data on a specific topic can be found.
encyclopedias: reference works that solve simple doubts and provide information to broaden the knowledge of a topic. It is common for them to be accompanied by visual resources, such as photographs or maps.
Statistics: Instruments that present data or graphs that summarize and highlight important information. They allow you to analyze patterns and make it easier to obtain key data.
Databases: set of information that is structured around the same topic or concept; They allow you to clearly manage a large volume of content.
anthologies: selection of texts by an author or theme.
Dictionaries: reference works that collect terms and vocabulary, defining and clarifying their meaning.
3. Tertiary sources
Sources with short and concise information that refer to both primary and tertiary sources.
bibliographies: list of books or reference sources that can be obtained or reviewed to investigate a specific topic.
catalogs: lists that briefly describe works, books, documents or objects.
reading lists: list of books, magazines or documents that can be consulted to delve into a topic.
directories: lists of people or organizations that are organized in alphabetical order.
survey articles: notes that collect and present information published in surveys.
Examples of Research Sources
Martin Luther King speech I have a dream (primary source).
imperial newsor, book by Fernando del paso (primary source).
Article published in the journal Science (primary source).
Interview with the philosopher Ernesto Castro, YouTube channel PlasmArte Ideas (primary source).
Note on muralism in Jalisco in a newspaper The reporter (primary source).
Documentary about the Amazon (primary source).
Letter exchange between Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud (primary source).
Mexico City Census (secondary source).
Encyclopedia of Literature in Mexico (secondary source).
Health statistics on the Covid-19 pandemic (secondary source).
Médica Sur hospital patient registry (secondary source).
Dictionary of Philosophy (secondary source).
Anthology of short stories in Spanish (secondary source).
Chart on reading habits in Latin American countries (secondary source).
Bibliography on gender violence (tertiary source).
Catalog of Mexican women writers (tertiary source).
Directory of autonomous organizations that work in the conservation of endangered species (tertiary source).
Article on a survey of the habits of couples who have been together for more than five years (tertiary source).
Digital reading markers on green technologies (tertiary source).
Catalog of sustainable products that can be obtained in Argentina (tertiary source).
What does it mean for a research source to be trustworthy?
They handle the information they present responsibly.
Provides the consulted references that can be used to expand or specify the content.
Expose ideas clearly, without reaching illogical or unbelievable conclusions.
Avoid copying or plagiarizing ideas previously presented in other documents.
Check the information you present against multiple sources and offer different points of view on the same topic.
If it is specialized information, it must be validated by third-party experts in the field, who give their approval to the content.
Trusted Source Example: Sciences (diffusion magazine of the Faculty of Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico).
References
Types of Information Sources – Information Literacy Guide. Taken from ufh.za.libguides.com
Types of Information Sources – Library Research: An Introduction. Taken from library.triton.edu