Finding Sources Flowchart
Types of Sources
Browse the list below for characteristics and examples of different types of information and sources.
Reference Sources
- Include facts, figures, addresses, statistics, definitions, dates, etc.
- Useful for finding factual or statistical information or for a brief overview of a particular topic.
- Examples: dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, Wikipedia
- Oxford English Dictionary Online This link opens in a new window Contains the complete text of the OED's 20-volume Second Edition and 3-volume Additions Series. Also includes draft material from the current OED project, representing the latest progress towards a completely revised and updated Third Edition. The OED online can be used to perform simple searches for word definitions, or for full-text searching of all OED's definitions, etymologies and quotations through the Search function. Updated quarterly.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window Credo is an easy-to-use tool for starting research. Gather background information on your topic from hundreds of full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, quotations, and subject-specific titles, as well as 500,000+ images and audio files and over 1,000 videos.
New Sources
- Provides very current information about events, people, or places at the time they are published
- Useful for information on current events or to track the development of a story as it unfolds
- Include articles on diverse topics of popular interest and current events
- Articles typically written by journalists or professional writers online or in print publications
- Written to be easily understood by the general public
- Examples: Newspapers and Magazine, The Fresno Bee, The New York Times, PBS, NPR, etc.
- U.S. Newsstream This link opens in a new window A great resource for current news, Proquest Newstand includes over 1,800 U.S. and international newspapers and other news sources, many in full text. Coverage from 1980-present. Major newspapers include New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and many others.
- Fresno Bee (1876-current) This link opens in a new window Search across three of Fresno's historical and current newspapers including The Fresno Bee (1922-current), Fresno Morning Republican (1887-1921), and the Fresno Republican Weekly (1876-1899).
Books
- Cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction
- Useful for the complete background on an issue or an in-depth analysis of a theory or person
- Can take years to publish, so may not always include the most current information
- Examples: The Politics of Gun Control, To Kill a Mockingbird, Hemingway and Faulkner in their Time
- OneSearch OneSearch is Fresno State Library's tool for searching our print and digital collections. Search for a book by title or use keywords to browse what is available.
- Ebook Central This link opens in a new window eBooks covering a wide range of areas including, Business/Management, Education, Health & Medicine, History & Political Science, Literature & Language, Religion & Philosophy, Science & Technology, and Social Science.
Scholarly Sources
- Also referred to as academic, refereed, or peer reviewed, scholarly sources are published by an academic institution or journal and written by and for specialists/experts in a particular field
- Peer-reviewed journals are one type of scholarly source. Articles in most academic journals must go through a peer-review or quality control process before they're accepted for publication
- Articles tend to have a narrow focus and more analysis of the topic than those in other types of publications
- Include cited references or footnotes at the end of research articles
- Examples: Journal of Communication, The Historian, Journal of the American Medical Association
- Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new window An excellent starting point for any topic, Academic Search Ultimate contains nearly 13,000 academic journals, magazines, and newspapers. Content covers all subject areas with material from 1887 to the present.
- Project Muse This link opens in a new window Full-text collection of academic journals in the humanities and social sciences.
Primary Sources
- Arise directly from a particular event or time period
- Information that has not yet been critiqued or analyzed by a second or third party.
- Can be popular or academic sources
- Examples: letters, speeches, interviews, works of art, diaries, blogs, social media posts, original scholarly research, and more!
- Hispanic American Newspapers 1808-1980 This link opens in a new window Primary source collection that includes full text access to hundreds of Hispanic American newspapers. Content spans from 1808-1980 and includes both English and Spanish language material.
- The Vogue Archive This link opens in a new window A complete searchable archive of American Vogue, from the first issue in 1892 to the current month, reproduced in high-resolution color page images. Every page, advertisement, cover and fold-out has been included, with rich indexing enabling you to find images by garment type, designer and brand names. The Vogue Archive preserves the work of the world's greatest fashion designers, stylists and photographers and is a unique record of American and international fashion, culture and society from the dawn of the modern era to the present day.
Data & Statistics
- Include survey results, demographic information, graphs, datasets, and more.
- Can be helpful quantitative data to measure the significance of an issue
- Typically published in reports or cited in news and magazine articles.
- Examples: The US Census, Fresno State enrollment data, social media analytics
- U.S. Census Bureau Data Access Tools This link opens in a new window The Statistical Abstract of the United States web site contains statistical tables from the print version of the Statistical Abstract, tables from USA Statistics in Brief, tables giving state rankings (in population, health, education, employment, public aid, social security, income, crime, energy, business, federal funds, motor vehicles), state and county statistical profiles, and tables giving economic statistics for the United States.
- Fresno State Office of Institutional Effectiveness Data and Research This link opens in a new window Provides a number of links regarding the University from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, including a general statistical picture of each of our eight colleges. The most commonly requested data, data for national accountability effort, and data about the CSU as a whole is available through this site.