Latin American and Caribbean Studies: Source Types

Starting point for research in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Information about Types of Resources

Source Type	Description	Authors	Audience/Use
Encyclopedias	Encyclopedias can provide background information and facts such as key people, events, and dates.	Scholars, staff writers, experts in the field of study.	All readers
Scholarly Journals Articles & Books (i.e. journal articles, edited books)	Peer- or rigorously reviewed sources whose purpose is to report results of original research or analysis	Scholars, researchers, and experts in the field of study	Scholars, researchers and students
White Papers or Reports (i.e. White papers or reports from NGOs, Human Rights groups, Think Tanks, etc.)	Report or guide that seeks to present an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision	Experts from the organization or agency, staff writers, Public Relations or marketing writers, etc.	Practitioners and stakeholders, experts in the field or area, general public
Government Documents (i.e. Supreme Court documents, hearings, policy briefs, census data, etc.)	Publication produced by a government agency	Experts from the government agency, staff writers, Public Relations or marketing writers, etc.	Government agencies, national or international stakeholders, general public
News (Local, National, International) (i.e. The New York Times, The Telegraph, etc.)	Report broad, general information and entertainment; Feature interviews with experts and general public	Reporters, usually not experts on the subject	General public, all readers

[UPDATE] Click the image below to learn more about source types, when they are published, and the information they contain.

Timeline courtesy of NW Missouri State University's Owens Library