(Re)familiarize yourself with distinctions between types of articles by looking at the comparison table on the guide All About Articles.
Not all books are made alike! Just as there are different types of articles, books provide a variety of depth and coverage of a topic.
General vs. Reference
Books in the General collection (including ebooks) cover a wide range of subjects and typically provide great detail (though some titles are intended to provide overviews). Depending on the author, the content can range from scholarly analysis to general discussion. These are works that the author intends for you to read to cover to cover (ideally - but for research, not so much).
Reference books contain information we refer to for specific portions rather than for reading in entirety. They include factual information in broad summaries or as overviews as well as introduce specialized terms or vocabulary specific to a field or area of study.
The information cycle/timeline may differ by disciplinary lens. Take a look at how scientists produce and share their work.
Reference sources such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and almanacs are a great place to start your research.
Reference materials contain information we refer to for specific portions rather than for reading in entirety. They include factual information in broad summaries or overviews. In addition, these sources will often introduce specialized terms or vocabulary specific to a field or area of study.
INFORMATION TIMELINE
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Event Occurs |
|
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Within minutes |
Social Media “Breaks” the story. Info may be incomplete, false, or biased. Examples: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, blogs |
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Within days |
News Sites, TV, Radio, & Daily Newspapers As time passes, info gets added, updated, and verified. Opinions emerge. Examples: CNN.com, Fox News, BBC Radio, New York Times |
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Within a week |
Weekly Magazines Offers more insight. Likely to include context info, interviews, related topics. |
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Within a month |
Monthly Magazines Additional time allows for better reporting. May include opinions. Examples: Wired, Scientific American, National Geographic |
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3+ months later |
Scholarly Journals Written by experts. Well-researched and objective. Examples: Journal of American Culture, Nature, JAMA |
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12+ months later |
Books Benefits most from hindsight. Gives most in-depth coverage of topic. Examples: Nonfiction titles, biographies, textbooks ,reference materials. |
Of note: Here is a timeline-based explanation of information characteristics (and caveats) from Temple University Library.