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Information & Research Literacy - A self-guided Program

This is currently a work in progress (summer 2025) to provide the HKUST community with self-drected learning on many aspects of information and research literacy

Type of Information Sources

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 change the types of sources you use for scholarly (academic) purposes. Don't just use easily accessible information sources from general web searches; choose quality and relevant sources suitable for your needs.
  General / Popular Sources Scholarly Sources
Source Types
  • Internet (YouTube, blogs, etc.), TV, and Media
  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Scholarly Journals
  • Scholarly Books, Conference Proceedings
Audience
  • For General Public
  • For Scholars, University Students
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

Engineering Information Sources: The Basis of the Profession

Engineering Information Sources for Finding Technological Innovation

There are different types of information sources for finding technological innovations.

Specialist Encyclopedias

cover
  • Give good, authoritative overviews & reviews of topics in the area or field of study
  • More in-depth than Wikipedia
  • Useful references at end of articles
  • Example: Encyclopedia of aerospace engineering

Patents

patent thumbnail
  • A patent is an exclusive intellectual property right granted for an invention. Key terms about patents:
    • Inventor: who invents the technology (the creator)
    • Assignee: who owns the IP of this technology (usually the company)
    • Claims: define the scope of the legal protection; it helps you understand the uniqueness of the invention
    • Classifications: these are classification numbers or categories assigned to the patent based on the technical subject matter. It helps you find similar inventions.
       
  • In exchange for patent protection, owner of the invention must disclose sufficient technical details of his/her invention: its functions, how it operates, its composition and how it is manufactured. Therefore, patent is an valuable information source of technical knowledge for researchers and inventors.
  • Example: Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for determining commands by applying heuristics

Scholarly Journal Articles

Journal cover
  • 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, authors and their qualifications and affiliations, abstract (article summary), research methodologies, conclusion and references
  • Arguments, claims and conclusions are always supported by data and evidence. Sources consulted are listed in the end of paper reference/bibliography section
  • Example: ChatGPT: A comprehensive review on background, applications, key challenges, bias, ethics, limitations and future scope

Trade Journal/Magazine Articles

Magazine cover
LibGuide content by HKUST Library is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, unless otherwise noted.