To select the best source for information, you first need to understand what the differences are among the various kinds of sources that provide us information. By doing so, you will be better able to zero in on the kind of information you are looking for and maximize your search time.

Information Source	Information Need	Publication Frequency	Intended Audience	Weaknesses
Books	Background information. Historical information. Statistics. Bibliography of other sources.	Varies. Books may take up to 2 years to come to press.	General public to experts.	Information may be dated.
Magazines	Current information. Short article, easy to understand. Photographs and illustrations.	Weekly, biweekly, monthly	General public	Authors may not be experts. Lack of depth. Sources not cited.
Trade Publications	Specialized information related to a particular discipline. Medium length articles. Some bibliographies	Weekly, biweekly, monthly	Those interested in a particular subject area and professionals in the area.	Geared toward those with at least some understanding of a field.
Journals	In depth information, written by experts. Bibliography of other sources. Charts and graphs. Recent research on a topic.	Quarterly, monthly, biannually	Professionals in a field.	May be difficult to understand.
Newspapers	Current information.	Daily, weekly.	General public.	Authors usually not experts.
Internet	Statistics. Varied points of view on a topic. Company websites.	Varies. Each site must be checked for dates/updates.	General public.	Need to verify credibility/accuracy