Information sources

A source is anything that provides you with information. There are mainly two types of
information sources. They are: documentary and non-documentary. The documents are physical
sources of information that are fit for physical handling or they are the record in some physical
form. The non-documentary sources of information are live sources that provide information
instantly

Documentary sources can either be print or non print

They can also be a categorized into pry, secondary and tertiary

1.4.1 Primary Sources

Primary sources of information are more current and up-to-date than any other sources of
information. These constitute the latest available information. Primary sources consist of new
knowledge or new in of old knowledge. Much of the information published in primary sources is
never re-published in other sources. These sources are also called Original sources of
information. Primary sources are the first published records of original research and development
activities. The research findings by the researchers are recorded and published first in the
primary sources such as journals. These sources are very useful for the researchers to keep them
up-to-date about the latest developments in their area of research. This will also help the
researchers to avoid duplication in research. Primary sources are the original documents
representing unfiltered original ideas. These are original medium of scientific communication.
Primary sources consist of original theories, ideas discoveries and inventions. These sources are
scattered and unorganized. The information about the development is not published earlier in
other sources. The information available in the primary sources is original in the sense that this
information is neither filtered nor condensed. These primary sources contain new or original
ideas or new interpretations of known facts.

Importance of Primary Sources

Primary sources of information are very important, especially for the researchers. They keep
them up-to-date and well-informed in their areas of interest and about the current developments
that take place in their fields. The growth or development of a discipline depends upon the
amount of literature produced in the form of primary literature. A subject becomes a discipline in
its own right when independent primary sources begin to be produced in that area. The rate of
growth of a discipline, to a large extent, depends upon the amount of literature being produced in
the field. Primary sources are very useful for the researchers.

They help the researcher to:

Keep themselves tip-to-date and well-informed in their field of research.

Avoid duplication in research.
 Develop them further and generate much information

Drawbacks of Primary Sources

Some of the drawbacks of primary sources are as follows:

They are unorganized sources and are difficult to consult. Searching of information is
sometimes difficult.
Information is scattered and widely dispersed in many sources.
The information related to narrow field or minute topic is not available in a single
primary source, the user has to search in many primary sources.
Primary sources do not possess any orderly presentation of information.

Characteristics of Primary Sources

The following are the characteristics of primary sources:

Primary sources are the original sources of information on which other research is based,
such as surveys, interviews, fieldwork, original articles, etc.
They present information in its original form, not interpreted or condensed or evaluated
by other writers. Primary sources contain raw, original and unevaluated information.
They present original report on discoveries or share new information such as a report of
scientific work.
They come as first-hand information from the source or person.
They are unfiltered through interpretation or evaluation.
They are records of a first-hand observation of an event, original work of fiction, art etc.

Examples of Primary Sources

The following are examples of primary sources:

(a) Government documents; (b) Patents; (c) Standards; (d) Journal articles; (e) Autobiographies,
diaries and memoirs, (f) Speeches, (g) Technical reports, (h) Web internet: Website that
publishes the authors finding or research Internet communication on e-mail, etc.;(i) Survey
research; (j) Proceedings of meetings, conferences and symposia; (k) Dissertation/theses; (l)
Historical documents; (m) Films, photographs, video recording (e.g. TV programmes); (n) Work
of art, music, architecture, literature; (o) Newspaper articles; (p) Research reports, reporting
results generated by experiments; (q) Trade literature

1.4.2 Secondary Sources

The scattered primary information is collected and arranged in the secondary sources in a
systematic way. Secondary sources are the sources which are compiled from the primary
sources. They analyse, interpret and discuss information about the primary sources. Information
is not original, but it is analysed or interpreted. Secondary sources do not carry new and original
information but guide the users to primary sources of information. They organise the primary
sources in a convenient form. Primary sources are the important sources of original information
but most of them are not systematically organised and difficult to consult. On the other hand,
information in secondary sources is usually modified, selected or reorganized in such a way that
they are easy to consult. Secondary sources help the user to locate the information.

Example: Indexing and abstracting journals.

Secondary sources are more easily and widely available than primary sources. It is difficult to
find information from primary sources directly. It can be found with the help of secondary
sources. The secondary sources also serve as bibliographical key to primary sources of
information. In simple terms, a secondary source writes or talks about something that is a
primary source. If a person writes about an original work (research work), it would be secondary
sources discussing the original work. Most of the research papers are based on secondary sources
as they are built on the basis of research or studies which others have done. Most secondary
sources analyse the material or restate the works of others. If a person writes about research done
by others, this writing will be secondary source.

Types of Secondary Sources

The secondary sources may be of three types:

(a) Those sources which index selected portion of primary literature and helps in finding what
has been published on a given subject.

Example: Indexes, bibliographies and abstracts.

(b) Those sources which survey selected portion of the primary literature and thus help in
acquiring comprehensive information on a given subject.

Example: Reviews and treatises.

(c) Those sources which themselves contain the desired information collected and selected from
primary sources of information.

Example: Encyclopaedias, dictionaries, handbooks, etc.

They consist of information such as facts and biographies.

Features of Secondary Sources

Some of the special features of secondary sources are as follows:

(a) They do scribe, interpret, analyse and evaluate primary sources.

(b) They comment on and discuss the evidence provided by primary sources.

(c) Information in secondary sources is systematically arranged and is easy to consult.

(d) Either compiled from or referred to primary sources.

(e) Information given in primal), sources are made available in a more convenient form in
secondary sources.

(f) Generally, secondary sources do not contain original information. They depend upon the
primary sources for reporting and presenting information.

(g) In primary sources information is not arranged systematically whereas in secondary sources,
especially in reference books, information is arranged in a systematic order (e.g., it may be
alphabetical, classified).

(h) Secondary sources, especially reference books, are exclusively designed to answer specific
queries. They are collection of millions of facts.

(i) Reference books are used within the library and meant for consultation only. Users are not
allowed to borrow.

(j) Secondary sources contain a list of documents (bibliographies) at the end of the text. By
furnishing the list, they guide the researchers back to the original sources.

Examples of Secondary Sources

Examples of secondary sources are: Reference books such as encyclopaedias, dictionaries, etc.;
Textbooks; Guide to literature; Abstracting journals; Indexes; Review of literature; Monographs;
Bibliographies; Some of the non-print material such as CD-ROMs

1.4.3 Tertiary Sources

Tertiary sources compile, analyse and digest secondary and sometimes primary sources of
information. In simple words, we may say that tertiary sources contain information distilled and
collected from primary and secondary sources. An access to all the primary sources is difficult
for an individual researcher or a single library. To locate the information from primary sources, a
number of secondary sources are published. This, secondary sources act as a key to primary
sources. But the number of primary and secondary sources is so large that it is difficult to locate
them. There is tertiary source to cite both primary and secondary sources.

The main function of tertiary sources of information is to help the researcher in the use of
primary and secondary sources of information. Tertiary sources are keys to primary and
secondary sources. Due to growth of literature in various languages, countries, forms, areas, etc.,
the identification, selection and acquisition of primary, secondary and tertiary sources are
becoming increasingly important. The following are some of the reasons of the popularity of
tertiary sources:

(a) Due to increase in literature at a very quick pace, identification and location of the required
document is difficult. Tertiary sources are designed as a bibliographic control device to assist in
selecting the primary and secondary sources.

(b) Tertiary sources help promote the use of primary and secondary sources. They describe and
comment upon the various types of publications.

(c) Tertiary sources record the bibliographic information which is important for better utilisation
of primary and secondary sources.

Example: Tertiary sources are given below:

(a) Directories: Directories are tertiary reference sources which help the researcher in using
primary and secondary sources.

(b) Almanacs: According to ALA Glossary, an almanac is an annual publication containing a

calendar, frequently accompanied by astronomical data and other information or an annual
yearbook of statistics and other information sometimes in a particular field.

(c) Yearbooks: According to ALA Glossary, a yearbook is an annual volume of current

information in descriptive and/or statistical form, sometimes limited to a special field.

(d) Bibliography of bibliographies: The lists of bibliographies direct readers to useful

bibliographies through subject, individual, places, etc. The bibliographies referred to may be in
the form of separately published book or part of the book or part of a periodical article or some
other types of documents.

(e) Union catalogues: It is catalogue listing in one sequence the holdings or part of the holding
of two or more libraries. Union catalogue is a combined catalogue, describing the collection
(i.e. Books, periodicals) of number of libraries. It consists of holdings of more than one
repository such as archives and libraries. It contains records about materials in several collections
or libraries.

Non-documentary Sources of Information

The non-documentary sources of information are live sources which are extremely important in
the process of communication. Very often, if a scientist working on an experiment needs some
information, he would turn to his/her colleague working in the same laboratory rather than to a
printed page. It is easier to have a dialogue with an expert than to use a bibliography or index or
card catalogue or even a consultation with a reference librarian. Non-documentary sources of
information provide information instantly and it is very easy to handle. The main disadvantage of
non-documentary sources of information is that it involves high cost when distance between the
people is large and that it also demands the use of highly sophisticated techniques i.e. computer
system, video conference, telephone, etc.

The non-documentary sources of information include government establishment, departments,

universities, technological institutions, data centres, information centres, referral centres, clearing
houses, consultants, technological gatekeeper, etc. Non-documentary sources of information also
include discussion with colleagues, visitors, participants of seminars and conferences, etc.The
library through the referral service provides access to important non-documentary sources of
information which may include the following types:

(i) Research Association: Research association may establish cooperative information centres. In
such cases there is a possibility of firm to firm discussion and exchange of information between
the members of an association.

(ii) Learned Societies and Professional Institutions: A member of these bodies forms the core of
a discipline or profession. The headquarters staff helps the members personally on professional
matter and sometimes they may direct the queries to the expert member of the body.

(iii) Industrial Liaison Officer: These officers provide particularly the preliminary information
needed to put a firm on the right track and for information which needs to be given personally
and supported by practical advice in order to be fully effective. They visit firms, explore their
needs and problems and help them to find solutions, sometimes directly on the spot, more often
by putting them in touch with specialized sources of information and assistance or refer to some
other specialists.

(iv) Mass Media: Mass media is a means of communication of information through broadcasting
and telecasting or a combination of these two for the masses, which is more effective than any
documentary sources.

Evaluating information sources

Evaluation of reference sources in a library context means assessing the value of the source according to
the requirements of the user

Why evaluate?

High quality information provides credibility, and is an intrinsic part of any academic writing. You need
to be certain that all the information sources you use are accurate, reliable, relevant and objective and
can be used as evidence to support your statements and arguments.