Finding information is a daily part of life in the 21st Century. We are surrounded by so many sources of information it can become overwhelming. At College you will need to learn how to find appropriate information for your assignments. This guide will help you understand:
- Different types of information
- Where to search
- Search strategies
- How to find specific resources
While at College you may hear some of the following terms used to describe the information you need to use for your assignments. See the descriptions below to learn about these different types of information.
Primary sources
Primary sources
Primary Sources are first hand accounts of an event or topic. They include original information rather than an interpretation of existing information. Examples of primary sources used regularly in theology is the Bible, writings by the early church fathers or the reformers.
Scholarly information
Scholarly information
Scholarly information can be found in books and journal articles. What makes something scholarly is who wrote it, if it is written by an academic, researcher or expert in a field it is considered scholarly. The library gives you access to both scholarly and non-scholarly information, it is helpful to read both but try to primarily reference scholarly information.
Secondary sources
Secondary sources
Secondary Sources, as opposed to primary sources, interpret existing information. An example of secondary sources are Bible commentaries, dictionary entries or journal articles. For some assignments you may be asked to reference a specific number of secondary sources to complete your assignment.
Peer reviewed articles
Peer reviewed articles
Sometimes you will see the term ‘peer reviewed’ when looking for journal articles. A peer reviewed article has been anonymously reviewed by other experts in the field. This publication process ensures the quality of the article. It is best to use peer reviewed articles for your assignments because they are more reliable sources of information.