FIGURE 10.1 
Using Common Research Sources
This information time line helps identify when and how to use each type of source, whether for classwork or for your personal life.
| INFORMATION TIME LINE | ||
| Source | When to access information | What it offers |
| Newspapers (print and online) | Daily/hourly after an event | Primary-source, firsthand discussions of a current event, and of what happened at the time of the event; short articles |
| Magazines | Weekly/monthly after an event | Analysis by a journalist or reporter of an event days or weeks after it occurred; longer articles than in newspapers; informally credits sources; might include more interviews or research as well as historical context |
| Scholarly articles | Months after an event | In-depth analyses of issues; research-based scientific studies with formally credited sources, written and reviewed by experts; contains graphs, tables, and charts |
| Books | Months/years after an event | A comprehensive overview of a topic with broad and in-depth analyses |