Which Type of Resource Should I Use?

The answers to these questions will influence where you look to find additional information to support your thesis. The following table shows various approaches you might use to find information geared to specific audiences, purposes and time frames.

Audience/Purpose Time Frame/Currency Useful Formats for Information Good "Tools" for Finding Information
General audience or background info Current issue or concurrent with discussion in the past Magazine or newspaper articles General index (e.g. Academic Search Elite)
General audience or overview of broad topic Topic/issue under discussion for some time Books OSU Libraries Catalog
Specialized information for researchers or informed readers Current issue or concurrent with discussion in the past Journal articles Subject-specialized indexes
Overview of specialized topic/issue for researchers or informed readers Specific topic/issue under discussion for some time Books OSU Libraries catalog, Orbis, or WorldCat

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