Searching for Information
As the information environment grows increasingly complex, knowing when, where, and how to find the information you need is not always easy. This section is designed to help you find different types of information, and offers some strategies for effective searching.
Published Information - The Information Timeline
When searching for information, it helps to understand when and how information is published. Think about an event like the September 11 terrorist attacks. When this first occurred, information was initially available in news sources, like newspapers, news websites, and radio and television broadcasts. After a week or so, information on the event began to appear in popular magazines and other sources of news analysis. A month later, information began to appear in professional magazines and more in-depth news reports and analyses. Six months later, articles in professional journals and conference proceedings began to appear. After a year or so, books, government reports and articles in scholarly journals were available. Now, years later, the event is the topic of a number of scholarly books and journal articles, and reference works such as encyclopedias include entries on the subject.
The information timeline below reiterates the process of information dissemination. Roll your mouse over the each timeframe to see a sample of the sources where information is likely to be published.
