The Information Cycle

Information is dispersed through different source types as the time after an event passes. Learning about the information cycle can give us an indication as to which source type would be most appropriate to answer our research question. 

To begin: the event takes place! 

Immediately after an event, we hear basic information: Who, What, Where, When. In the weeks, months, and years after the event, the information we hear becomes more detailed and analytical. Read through the information below to assess which source type is best for you. If the 'event' you are researching just occurred, there are probably not going to be many journal articles or books about it.

Background Info & Current Events

Publishing basic information is easy! 

• Social media posts can be published within seconds, hours, or days after
• News outlets can publish information within hours, days, or weeks after
• Web sources can publish information days, months, or even years after

Analysis & Opinion

Though more time is required to publish magazines and trade publications, we are sometimes most familiar with these sources! Trade publications are sources that combine scholarly and popular information that only professionals in specific industries would normally be interested in. They are easy to read and usually written in 'plan language', but are tailored to a hyper specific audience.

• Magazines and trade publications can be published weeks or months after an event

Data & Research

If you're looking for a scholarly source, this is the place to be! Because the information in journal articles and books require extensive research, they are held in high regard. However, not all articles and books are scholarly. To evaluate scholarliness, visit the tab on the left.

• Academic journal articles can publish months or years after
• Books can be published years after