Information timeline
When searching for information, it is always wise to keep in mind the information timeline. It is very easy to find plenty of books and encyclopedia articles on ancient Egypt, the Great Depression, and World War II. Finding information and scholarly articles about the Health Care bill of 2010 controversy and how Southern Sudan came to be a nation is going to be somewhat more difficult.
| Time: | Day of event | Days later | Weeks later | Months later | Years later |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sources | 
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Scholarly journals, books, conference proceedings Reference sources such as encyclopedias |
| Type of information | General: who, what, where (usually not why) | Varies, some articles include analysis, statistics, photographs, editorials, opinions | Still in reporting stage, general, editorial, opinions, statistics, photographs Usually no bibliography at this stage | Research results, detailed and theoretical discussion Bibliography available at this stage | In-depth coverage of a topic, edited compilations of scholarly articles relating to a topic General overview giving factual information Bibliography available |
| Author | Journalists | Journalists | Journalists: usually not specialists in field | Specialists and scholars in the field | Specialists and scholars in the field |
| Audience | General public | General public | General public to knowledgeable layperson | Scholar, specialists, students | General public to specialists Scholars, students, laypersons |
| Locating tools | Web search tools, social networks | Web search tools, newspaper and periodical databases | Web search tools, newspaper and periodical databases | General and subject-specific databases | Library catalog, general and subject-specific databases Library reference collection |
