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Newspapers cover current events that are typically published on a daily or weekly basis. News outlets can exhibit bias. 

Examples of newspapers

• Wall Street Journal
• New York Times
• The Daily Review

Databases with Newspapers

• Newsbank
• MasterFILE Complete
• ProQuest Diversity Database
• Newspaper Source Plus

Magazines or periodicals are often published weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Magazines are written for general audience and cover current events. 

Examples of magazines

• Time
• Ebony Magazine
• Wired

Databases with Magazines

• MasterFile Complete
• ProQuest Diversity Database
• Ebony Magazine Archive
• Time Magazine Archive

Journal articles are written by scholars in an academic or professional field. An editorial board reviews articles to decide whether they should be published (This process is often called peer-review).  Journal articles may cover very specific topics or narrow fields of research.

Examples of journals

• AJN: American Journal of Nursing
• Journal of Media Ethics
• Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies

Databases with Journal Articles

• Academic Search Complete
• SOCIndex with Full Text
• JSTOR Arts & Sciences
• ProQuest Diversity Databases
• Wiley Online Library

Books cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction. For research purposes, you will probably be looking for books that synthesize all the information on one topic.

Libraries organize and store their book collections on shelves called "stacks." Many books are now available electronically on the Web (e-books) and are purchased by your library.

Use a Book

• when looking for a lot of information on a topic
• to put your topic in context with other important issues
• to find historical information
• to find summaries of research to support an argument

Databases with Books/eBooks

• Library Catalog
• EBSCO eBooks
• Gale eBooks
• Overdrive

Encyclopedias contain factual articles on many subjects.

There are two types of encyclopedias -- general and subject. General encyclopedias provide overviews on a wide variety of topics. Subject encyclopedias contain entries focusing on one field of study, usually signed by at least one academic scholar in a related field.

Use an Encyclopedia

• when looking for background information on a topic
• when trying to find key ideas, important dates or concepts

Databases with Encyclopedias

• Gale Reference eBooks
• EBSCO Encyclopedias

Topic Databases

• Gale Opposing Viewpoints
• Issues and Controversies

Media sources are often thought of as visual or audio such as documentaries, films, radio programs or podcasts.

• Documentaries - films that dive deep into a specific topic and can pose a possible bias.
• Radio programs - conversations with experts on current topics.
• Television programs - news and informational series.

The Web allows you to access information on the Internet through a browser. One of the main features of the Web is the ability to link quickly to other related information.

Use the Web

• to find current information
• to find both expert and popular opinions
• to find information from all levels of government - federal to local