From Inquiry to Academic Writing A Practical Guide, 3rd edition

IdEnTIFyIng SouRCES 131

TABLE 6.1 Standard Types of Sources for Doing Research

Source

Type of

InformaTIon purpoSe LImITaTIonS exampLeS

Abstract Brief summary

of a text and the

bibliographic

information

needed to locate

the complete text

To help research­

ers decide

whether they

want to read the

entire source

May be too brief

to fully assess the

value of a source

Biological Abstracts

Historical Abstracts

New Testament Abstracts

Reference Sources in

History: An Intro ductory

Guide

Bibliography List of works,

usually by sub­

ject and author,

with full publica­

tion information

For an overview

of what has been

published in a

field and who

the principal

researchers in the

field are

Difficult to dis­

tinguish the best

sources and the

most prominent

researchers

Bibliography of the

History of Art

MLA International

Bibliography

Biography Story of an indi­

vidual’s life and

the historical,

cultural, or social

context in which

he or she lived

For background

on a person of

importance

Lengthy and

reflects the

author’s bias

Biography and Genealogy

Master Index

Biography Resource

Center

Biography.com

Literature Resource

Center

Oxford Dictionary of

National Biography

Book review Description

and usually an

evaluation of a

recently pub­

lished book

To help readers

stay current with

research and

thought in their

field and to evalu­

ate scholarship

Reflects the

reviewer’s bias

ALA Booklist

Book Review Digest

Book Review Index

Bowker Books in Print

Database Large collection

of citations and

abstracts from

books, journals,

and digests, often

updated daily

To give research­

ers access to a

wide range of

current sources

Lacks evaluative

information

EBSCOhost

Education Resources

Information Center (ERIC)

Humanities International

Index

Index to Scientific &

Technical Proceedings

United Nations Bib lio­

graphic Information

System

Data,

statistics

Measurements

derived from

studies or

surveys

To help research­

ers identify

important trends

(e.g., in voting,

housing, residen­

tial segregation)

Requires a

great deal of

scrutiny and

interpretation

American FactFinder

American National

Election Studies

Current Index to Statistics

Current Population Survey

U.S. Census Bureau

National Data Book

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