WEEK 11: SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Objectives

1. By the end of the module the learners should be able to search for

information from various sources.

2. The learners to be able discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each

source of information.

EXPERIENCE

One’s own experience can act as a useful source of information. Other people can have

expertise or experience about what information is required. Personal knowledge has the

added advantage of heightening the presenter’s credibility in the minds of the listeners. The

audience will respect you if they realize that you have first -hand knowledge of the topic on

which you are speaking.

1. THE INTERNET

The most popular internet information is the World Wide Web. One can use directories and

search engines in two ways: by clicking on subject categories that are in turn broken into

ever-more specific subcategories or by entering key words or phrases into a designated space.

The web sites you come across may include personal pages, books, periodicals, newspapers,

and wire services, reference materials, and government documents. Check the accountability,

accuracy, objectivity, date and usability of the internet sources.

2. THE LIBRARY – secondary sources

remains a rich source of supporting material. Most libraries have the following sources:

- Books

- Periodicals

- Full- text databases

- Reference resources

- Government documents

- Special services.

3. INTERVIEWS - primary source

The goal of interview as in other research techniques is to obtain data or information through

oral question and answer methods . According to Wimmer and Dominick (2000:122)

intensive interviews are unique for the following reasons: They generally use smaller

samples. They provide detailed background about the reasons respondents give specific

answers. Elaborate data concerning respondents’ opinions, values, motivations etc. are

obtained. Intensive interviews allow for lengthy observation of respondents nonverbal

responses. They are usually very long. Unlike personal interviews used in survey research

that may last only a few minutes, an intensive interview may last several hours and may take

more than one session.

4. QUESTIONNAIRES – primary sources

These include sets of questions that are used to gather information from people in

written form. They are given to the respondents to fill and submit to the person

collecting information. The researcher of the information should know that the
respondent is not obligated to answer the questions, therefore the design, order, the

questions and the general outlook of the questionnaire must be reader friendly and with

no cost to the respondent. Questions should not be detailed and should have limited open

ended questions.

5. OBSERVATION – primary sources

Much can be learned about human communication behaviour by observing it. In other words,

observation is one of the methodological tools that is applied in communication research to

elicit evidence. Therefore, an understanding of the method has become imperative for

communication students like you. Observational research is that which is based on things

seen. It concerns for instance, the planned watching, recording and analysis of observed

behaviour as it occurs in a natural setting (Wimmer & Dominick, 2000:114). Indeed, the

observational method’s key feature in human communication is a standardized, planned and

systematic approach to objectively observe and record behaviours.

It is important, however, to state that scientific observation or observation as a research

technique is different from everyday observation. The latter is random and fugitive i.e.

quickly moving on to other matters. The former (scientific observation) is focused-on what

the observer wants to find out – and it is objective and systematic (Berger 2000:162).

Strengths

- It enables the participant to gain an insider’s knowledge of the situation.

- It helps the researcher to understand what is going on in a setting that he is studying. It

helps the researcher to determine which questions to ask informant.

their behaviour.

- It fosters an in-depth and rich understanding of a phenomenon, situation and/or setting

and the behaviour of the participants in that setting.

- It is an essential way of gaining an understanding of naturalistic setting and its member

ways of behaviour.

Weaknesses

- The researcher stands the risk of internalizing the values of the group to the extent that he

may forget why he is there. This is also referred to as observer effect. Because of the need

for the observer to conceal his identity, he cannot freely record his observations.

- Its result is affected by the subjective nature of the observation and the recording process.

According to the selective perception theory, people see what they want to see and

choose what they want from what they have seen.

REVISION QUESTIONS

2. Explain the considerations one should make when selecting a material to read in

the library

3. What is a virtual library? Explain the advantages of virtual library over the

ordinary library to learners

4. Describe the various types of catalogues in a library.

1. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of observation as a source of information

over library

2. Research using questionnaires and interviews are a common source of information.

Explain circumstances under which they may be the most appropriate to use.

TOPIC TEN: INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION LITERACY

Introduction

This unit will introduce students to the introductory concepts that give an i n i t i a l

understanding of information literacy (IL) through definitions and brief explanations.

Defining Information

The American Library Association (1987) defines information as “…all ideas, facts, and

imaginative works of the mind which have been communicated, recorded, published and/or

distributed formally or informally in any format”.

Definition of information literacy

Set of skills, which requires an individual to: “recognize when information is needed and

have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. “It is the

knowledge of commonly used research techniques. Information literacy forms the basis for

lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels

of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations,

become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning.”

Information Literacy is the capacity of people to:

1. Recognize their information needs;

2. Locate and evaluate the quality of information;

4. Make effective and ethical use of information, and

5. Apply information to create and communicate knowledge.

Capabilities of an Information Literate Individual

 Access information effectively and efficiently

 Evaluate information critically and competently

 Use information accurately and creatively

 Be an independent learner and pursue information related to personal interest

 Strive for excellence in information seeking

Information Sources

To obtain timely, relevant and quality information for your study or research work, one

needs to know the various sources of information available. This module is expected to deepen

one’s knowledge of sources of information in print, non-print and electronic formats. It

presents the definition, types, formats, and categories of information sources.

Definition of Information Sources

Information sources are the various means by which information is recorded for use by an

individual or an organization. It is the means by which a person is informed about

something or knowledge is availed to someone, a group of people or an organization.

Information sources can be observations, people, speeches, documents, pictures,

organizations. Information sources can be in print, non-print and electronic media or

format.

Types of Information Sources

expert opinions, encyclopedias, the Web. The type of information needed will change

depending on its application. Individuals generate information on a daily basis as they go about

their work. In academic institutions, staff and students consult various sources of information.

The choice of the source to be consulted is usually determined by the type of information

sought. The three types of information sources are:

a) Primary sources

b) Secondary sources

c) Tertiary sources

a) Primary sources

Primary sources are original materials on which other research is based. This is

information before it has been analyzed, interpreted, commented upon, spun or

repackaged. They are usually the first formal appearance of results in physical, print or

electronic format. They represent original thinking, unedited, firsthand, access to words,

images, or objects by persons directly involved in an activity or event or speaking directly for

a group.

Examples include:

 Artifacts (e.g. coins, plant specimens, fossils, furniture, tools, clothing)

 Audio recordings (e.g. radio programs)

 Diaries

 Internet communications on email, list serves

 Interviews (e.g., oral histories, telephone, e-mail)

 Journal articles published in peer-reviewed publications

 Newspaper articles written at the time

 Original Documents (i.e. birth certificate, will, marriage license, trial transcript)

b) Secondary sources

Secondary sources a r e less easily defined than primary sources. Generally, they are

accounts written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. They are interpretations and

evaluations of primary sources written significantly after events by parties not directly

involved but who have special expertise. They may provide historical context or critical

perspectives. Secondary sources are thus not evidence, but rather commentary on and

discussion of evidence. However, what some define as a secondary source, others define as a

tertiary source.

Examples include:

 Bibliographies (also considered tertiary)

 Biographical works

 Commentaries, criticisms

 Dictionaries, Encyclopedias (also considered tertiary)

 Textbooks (also considered tertiary)

 Web site (also considered primary)

d) Tertiary sources

e) Tertiary sources consist of information which is a distillation and collection of

primary and secondary sources. They are twice removed from the original source and

their main purpose is to list, summarize or simply repackage ideas or other information.

 Almanacs - yearbooks
  Bibliographies (also considered secondary)

 Dictionaries and Encyclopedias (also considered secondary)

 Directories

 Guidebooks (on tourism, hospitals…)

 Indexes, abstracts, bibliographies used to locate primary and secondary sources

 Manuals

 Textbooks (also considered secondary)

Categories of information sources

There are various categories of information sources and different assignments

require information from a variety of sources. The selection of information sources to be used is

largely determined by the information needs and requirements.

Books, Periodicals, References Sources, Databases, Internet, Bibliographies, Abstracts, Indexes,

Theses and Dissertations.

Information Organization

There are several ways to organize information in order to find it easily. Libraries use

organization schemes to classify information according to the academic discipline or

area of knowledge (class) the information fits into.

Why is it important to organize information?

In order to retrieve the information you need, it's really important to know how the

information is organized. Organization is thus the key to easy retrieval of information or

accessing a library’s collection.

The Library two main approaches to organize information sources namely content and format.

The content is composed of the subject and the characteristics of information.

Format refers to the medium used to present or store information. Therefore materials will be

located in different physical locations based on subject or physical format type.