## 2.1 : When do I use what kind of information sources?

I'm looking for basic information on a subject

Looking for a needle in a haystack
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What should I use?

Reference works: to look up information about a general concept (encyclopaedia) or a word (dictionary).

Why actually?

- Here you will find a relatively short description of your subject and often a selective bibliography.
- As a first introduction to the subject of your paper.
- To quickly look up something about someone or something.
- To find new suitable search terms about your topic.

For some reference works, only a printed version is available, so you have to go to the library.

I'm looking for a particular author's work or about a specific subject

What should I use?

- Catalogues: To locate print and online resources selected by the library.
- Databases: for consulting online sources of texts, images, objects, etc.

Why actually?

- To get to know and understand your subject yourself.
- To study your subject in detail for the first time, the critical introduction is often very suitable.
- To know what researchers think about your subject.
- To know the different theories and hypotheses about aspects of your subject.
- To test the different theories and hypotheses against the sources.

2.1.1 Catalogues

A catalogue contains a description of books, journals and audiovisual materials, including the location of where they are stored (the precise bookshelf location of a printed copy or a direct link to the electronic version).

Note: Most catalogues do not have journal articles, only the titles of the journals.

If you are looking for publications by an author or on a subject, you can use a catalogue to get to know and understand your subject. But also to know what researchers think about your subjects and to know the different theories and hypotheses about aspects of your subject or to test them against the sources. For the same reasons you can also use databases, see 2.1.2

Catalogue examples:

- Greeni : a joint catalogue maintained by the green universities of applied sciences: Aeres, HAS and Van Hall Larenstein. See modules 3.1 to 3.5 for more information.
- WUR Library : a catalogue maintained by Wageningen University & Research and a number of libraries in the Netherlands. See module 3.10 for more information.
- WorldCat : the largest catalogue in the world. More than 50,000 libraries based in over 90 countries cooperate to provide a joint online catalogue.

#### 2.1.2 Databases

#### A database contains bibliographic references and it may include the electronic version of scientific publications, frequently journal articles.

Databases are like scuba diving: they let you get deeper
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Types of databases: (a combination is possible)

- Bibliographic databases: contain some bibliographic references, whether or not supplemented with a summary. Some bibliographic databases provide a link to the electronic version located elsewhere on the internet.
- ​Full-text databases: contain not only the bibliographic references, but also the complete electronic versions. Often the full text is fully searchable. Some full-text databases contain only an archive collection (i.e. from the oldest volume, but not the newest volumes), others contain the newest volumes (e.g. from 2006–present).
- Citation databases: contain not only the bibliographic reference, but also the link to the citations (other publications that cite this reference in the footnotes).

Database examples, see also module 3.6:

- ScienceDirect (bibliographic and full-text database)
- Google Scholar (bibliographic database and citation database and scientific search engine, see module 3.6.2)
- P ubmed (bibliographic database)

#### 2.1.3 Reference works

A reference work contains an entire series of short contributions about a work, person or concept.

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You use a reference work if you are looking for basic information about a certain subject. Here you will find a relatively short description about your subject and often also a selective bibliography and new suitable search terms about your subject.

For some reference works, only a printed version is available, so you have to go to the library.

Types of reference works:

- Encyclopaedias: provide information on people and concepts
- Dictionaries: provide information on words

Reference work examples:

- Encyclopaedia Britannica Online (encyclopaedia)
- Van Dale dictionaries (dictionary)
- Wikipedia (encyclopaedia)