Humanities & Social Sciences Info Types - Information & Research Literacy - A self-guided Program - LibGuides at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library

General & Academic Sources

Part of planning your research should involve thinking about what type of information you will seek.

There are different types of information sources. In general, the information can be categorized into General Sources and Scholarly Sources.

As a university student, you will need to transition to scholarly (academic) sources for your academic work. Don't just use easily accessible information sources from general web searches; choose quality and relevant sources suitable for your needs..

Action: Look at the graphic & read the table below.

	General / Popular Sources	Scholarly Sources
Source Types	Internet (YouTube, blogs, etc.), TV, and Media Newspapers Magazines Books	Scholarly Books Scholarly Journals Reputable data and statistics
Audience	For General Public	For Scholars, University Students For professional researchers or analysts
Content Scope	Topics of general interest, current affairs	In-depth research in a specialized area
Language/Tone	Everyday English	Technical terms
Structure	Short articles/posts, with visual stimuli (photos & graphics, etc.) Usually do not include a reference list	Usually lengthy & dense Include a reference list Data describes how collected and analyzed

Action: self-reflection:

Have you ever used or heard of these scholarly resources before?
Have you ever considered the time factor that it takes for different information types to be created and disseminated (posted or published)?

Chart of Information Types Used in Social Science & Humanities Scholarship

"There are different types of information sources for scholarly & professional research and analysis.

Why should you care about information types?

Because thinking about the type of information you seek can help guide your searching: selecting search tools and methods. Think about shopping -if you want apples or sports shoes or soup noodles, the thing you seek guides where you look for it & other decision making.

So: When you start searching for information (whether via Google or Library databases), first think about "What do I hope to find?":

What types of information do you need to start thinking about your project?
What types of information do you need to provide evidence to support your arguments or opinions?

Action:

Go through this chart and think about the possible ways you may want to search for and use these different information types.
Explore some of the links.
Consider the similarities and differences in the information types..

Books	Gives overviews or in-depth discussion on topics One of the main scholarly sources in social science and humanities Academic books provide references for follow-up Convenient inside tools: E-books - search function & help-you-cite tools Paper books: table of contents & index Example: Siu, H. F., & Ku, A. S. M. (2008). Hong Kong mobile : making a global population. Hong Kong University Press.
Encyclopedias	General Encyclopedias Are a good place to start before moving onto the specialist ones. Try Britannica Academic, in addition to Wikipedia. Specialist Encyclopedias Give good, authoritative overviews & reviews of topics in the area or field of study (written by scholars & experts) Good to browse & get ideas for research questions More in-depth than Wikipedia Useful references at end of articles Examples of specialist encyclopedia: The Encyclopedia of Adolescence The Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance The International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences Examples of references to articles in encyclopedias Lee, J.C. (2017). Globalization and Filial Piety. In: Farazmand, A. (Ed.) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3361-1 Levesque, R.J.R. (2015). Trophy Kids. In: Levesque, R. (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_797-1 Prestige. (2008). In Darity, W.A. Jr. (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (2nd ed., Vol. 6, pp. 443-445). Macmillan Reference USA. https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&u=hkust&id=GALE\|CX3045302038&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-GVRL&asid=e0260f62
Scholarly Journal Articles	Cover in-depth research by academics/researchers/scholars in a specialized subject area Contents are peer-reviewed (revised according to comments from subject experts in the field before publication) Structure of the article: Article title Author(s)and their qualifications and affiliations Abstract (article summary) Research methodologies Conclusion References (bibliography) Arguments, claims and conclusions are supported by data and evidence. Sources consulted are listed in the end of paper reference/bibliography section Example: Zang, E., Yang, Y. M., & Lee, J. Z. (2024). Parents’ Industrial Sectors and Fields of Study: Five Decades of Evidence from an Elite Regional University in China. Sociology, 58(6), 1281-1304. https://doi.org/10.1177/00380385241242044
Data and Statistics	Raw" data and statistics gives you material to make your own arguments, predictions, etc. Allows you to make your own charts, etc. MUST come from reputable sources Examples of HKUST subscribed statistical sources CDMNext Statista World Bank Open Data Text and Data Mining (TDM) Some scholars seek to text or data mine from Library subscribed resources (databases). This Library guide on TDM can teach you more about what's available. Example of a reference to a data set China. National Bureau of Statistics. (2020). CN: Population: No of Divorces: Guangdong, 1995-2018. ID:4772901; SR Code: SR92530. [data file]. Retrieved from CDMNext Database, March 9, 2020.
Magazine Articles	Cover general interest information for non-experts Short, topical articles - usually 1 to 5 pages Written and edited by professional journalists May quote statistics, figCover general interest information for non-expertsures, or tables from other sources for you to then follow up Rarely give information in footnotes or bibliography Example: Why Hong Kong is sending its old people to Guangdong. (2024, May 23). The Economist , https://lbdiscover.hkust.edu.hk/bib/cdi_gale_infotracnewsstand_STND_A794954803
Newspaper Articles	Cover general interest information for non-experts: current affairs, daily news & social issues. Short, topical articles - usually 1/4 to 1 page in length Written by professional journalists and edited by editors with the motive of selling stories and advertising space Some old articles can be used as primary sources to see "how things were covered" or "what people believed happened" at the time of publication. Use them critically. Advertisements can also be used critically as primary sources as evidence or sources for analysis. Library subscribed & many online Example of Newspaper Sources 申報. (1872-1949) WisersOne = 慧眼輿情. Factiva Nexis-Uni