Types of References: Books vs. Periodicals
| Introduction |
|
| Evaluating Web Resources |
Books are very different from periodicals. The main
difference is the time it takes to be published. |
Books Definition - Books contain a variety of information on a subject. In general, books can provide reviews of a subject's scope, historical perspectives, and current analysis. Pros - Books are accessible; in one book you can access a variety of information. Cons - Look at the publication dates. Especially in science, information is always changing.
|
Periodicals Definition - Periodicals are published in cycles (periods...) which means current issues can have very up to date infomation. Types - Newspapers, Magazines, Journals Pros - Rapid release of information means that you can get up to date information Cons - The information may be harder to find because of the diversity of periodicals available. |
|
Bottom Line: Which is better? That depends on what you need. Information on a topic that has existed for a long time will be found easier in books. However, consider something current - for instance - stem cells: it will be hard to find a good book about stem cells. The information is not only too new, but changing at a rapid pace. |
||
| This tutorial was created by Aaron Fried, contact frieda@cortland.edu with comments. ©2004, Aaron Fried |