THE 13 TYPES OF INFORMATION SOURCES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The types of information sources are three: primary, secondary and tertiary. They are divided according to the degree of information they provide, the type of information they contain, the format in which they are found, the channel used and by geographical coverage.

Each of these aspects of information sources determines a subdivision at the same time. The information sources are created to meet the informational needs of any individual.

They are presented through various media, they can be created to inform or not, they are in a physical place (face-to-face or virtual) and they are static, since the researcher accesses them and they are created by institutions or people.

The types of sources are combined according to the orientation of the research and therefore the needs of the researcher or information seeker.

Information sources are the tools that help locate and retrieve documents and information.

Main types of information sources

According to the degree of information they provide, the information sources are divided into primary, secondary and tertiary; This division is generally used in academia.

- Primary sources

They are those that contain original information, the subject they contain has never been discussed, the information has been kept intact, that is, it has not been interpreted or analyzed by a researcher or institution.

This information, which consists of data collection through a questionnaire, an interview, surveys, a photograph, a video, etc., serves the researcher to verify a hypothesis.

This type of information source is found in doctoral theses, books, conference proceedings, journals, standards or patents. In addition, it is also possible to find reference works such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, yearbooks, directories, guides, biographical sources and even atlases.

Example

Pastor Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech would be a primary source of information, as the information is original and has not been processed. To understand it better, if a historian wanted to do an analysis on the discrimination of the African American race in the 20th century, this would be a primary source.

- Secondary sources

Secondary sources are an extension of the specific results provided by primary sources. That is, a content is generated from the extraction of information from a primary resource.

Secondary sources are the product of many years of research. When they are used exclusively it is because the researcher does not have the resources to collect information of a primary type or when he simply finds very reliable secondary sources.

They can be identified because their main objective is not to offer information, but to indicate which source or document can provide it to us.

In general terms, secondary documents generally refer to primary documents. Secondary sources include journal articles, reviews, biographies, abstracts of scientific works, reports, etc.

Example

Journalists produce many secondary sources of information. The reason is that, having neither the resources nor the time, they produce news or reports based on primary sources.

For example, when you write a story about the possible outcome of the presidential elections, you are resorting to the surveys that a previously analysis company prepared. For this reason, reference is always made to the original study: "According to a survey carried out by the Indrax Institute, 56% of the participants intend to vote for the green candidate."

- Tertiary sources

They are the least frequent. It is a type of resource that contains information on primary and secondary sources, with the sole function of sending them.

This type of information sources fulfills the functions of compiling, organizing, collecting and debugging the primary and secondary sources.

Tertiary sources are catalogs, directories, bibliographies, survey articles, etc. They are usually found in textbooks and encyclopedias.

Example

In an encyclopedia article on strawberries (see Wikipedia for example), you can find references and bibliographies that make references to primary and secondary sources. This collection of sources make up the tertiary sources.

Types of fonts according to the format

According to the type of information, it is classified into general and specialized sources; according to the type of format they are divided into textual, audiovisual and digital; In reference to geographic coverage, they are divided into international, national, regional and local sources.

According to the type of information format, the information sources are classified as:

- General sources

The general information source offers broad and basic information on a topic such as definitions, historical context or main exponents.

Among this type of source it is possible to find manuals, encyclopedias, yearbooks and general information magazines.

- Specialized sources

Specialized sources present information related to a specific subject or issue and are directed to a specific group.

Within these types of sources it is possible to find databases and specialized journals.

According to the format or support of the information sources, these are classified as:

- Textual sources

Textual sources include information that is presented in the form of text such as books, newspapers, magazines, etc.

- Audiovisual sources

Audio-visual sources include video or audio material such as CDs, DVDs, or multimedia.

- Digital sources

They are all sources that require the use of a digital device to access them; among these it is possible to find repositories of information, geographic information, etc.

According to the channel used, the information sources are of two types:

- Oral sources

This type of information source does not appear in written form and it is necessary to look for it in the place where you are.

Oral accounts, testimonies, etc. are part of this type of information.

- Documentary sources

Documentary sources consist of a report on an investigation carried out; they serve as a communication tool for the results obtained and increase the body of knowledge in society.

Finally, the types of information sources are classified according to geographic coverage and refer mainly to primary sources:

- International sources

This type of source refers to an individual or institution from which information will be extracted and who is located outside the country where the investigation is carried out.

- National sources

The national source type identifies the individuals or entities that offer information and that are within the limits of the country where the study is carried out.

- Regional or local sources

A regional or local source identifies a subject or organization that has information for our research and that is located in the same city where the researcher works.

conclusion

Although the typology of sources is functional for the design of an investigation, it is important to know that all the types mentioned are not exclusive and can be combined.

A source can be, at the same time, secondary, general, and presented in digital format, searchable over the Internet, as is the case of a report on the portal of a public entity.

The above types of information sources require the researcher to carefully read, understand and compare to choose the best sources.

Likewise, to take better advantage of the types of sources, the researcher must be consistent, impartial and set times for the collection of information.

In any case, the selection of types of information sources should be made considering three important principles: reliability, timeliness and correct extension.

References

1. Villaseñor Rodríguez, I. (1999). "The instruments for the information retrieval: the sources". Information sources: theoretical-practical studies. Madrid: Synthesis.
2. Stewart, DW, & Kamins, MA (1993). Secondary research: Information sources and methods (Vol. 4). Sage.
3. Patton, MQ (2005). Qualitative research. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
4. Kothari, CR (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Age International.
5. Talja, S. (2002). Information sharing in academic communities: Types and levels of collaboration in information seeking and use. New Review of Information Behavior Research, 3 (1), 143-159.