Best For:

• In-depth information
• Articles written by experts
• Recent research on a topic
• Bibliographies of other sources

The Information:

• Is often theoretical, carefully analyzing the impact of an event on society, culture, and public policy
• Is often peer reviewed/refereed
• Is often narrow in scope
• Is intended for other scholars, researchers, professionals, and university students in the field

Watch For:

• Terminology and depth/detail of articles may be difficult to understand by novices
• Dated information (sort your results by date if you are looking for the most recent information, as some journals extend back several decades)

Definition: Grey literature is information produced by organizations outside of academic or commercial publishing channels. It is produced by government, academic, business, and industry; the main difference is that it is not controlled by commercial publishing.

Best For:

• Specialized information related to a particular discipline or profession
• Current information
• Some bibliographies

The Information:

• Extremely varied; can include but is not limited to reports (pre-prints, preliminary progress and advanced reports, technical reports, statistical reports, memoranda, state-of-the art reports, market research reports, etc.), theses, conference proceedings

Watch For:

• Can be difficult to determine basic information, such as author, publication date, or publishing body

Best For:

• News, current events
• Government information
• Grey literature
• Varied points of view on a topic
• Statistics
• Company information

The Information:

• Is primarily provided through resources like news sites when related to a specific event
• Explains the who, what, when, and where of an event
• Is intended for a general audience

Watch For:

• Credibility and accuracy cannot be assured (check for author credentials, publication date, etc.)
• Information may be highly biased
• Sources not always cited