TCORE 133: Ways of Knowing - Velaquez: Information Timeline

After defining the research topic/thesis, it is time to search for suitable information to support the argument in your research paper. Currently, finding information seems to be easier than before. Google and other search engines can quickly and easily retrieve hundreds of search results based on your keywords, but are these information appropriate for your topic and assignment? Understanding how the information was created and when the information was published can help your search become more effective.

Before searching for the suitable information to support your argument, think about:

1. Does your assignment require scholarly or popular resources?

2. How current do you need the information?

This section will focus on different types of information formats and the information timeline.

Remember, the process of searching the suitable resources can be difficult and time-consuming, so start your research early and ask librarians for help.

An information timeline is also known as an "information cycle." The content and quality of the information depends on the time taken to create the information. For example, information in a newspaper article would not be as detailed as the information from a scholarly article. Therefore, understanding the information timeline can help you better search for and evaluate resources. 

Find out more about the Information Cycle from the University of Washington Libraries: