## Types of resources

### Introduction

In the basic course, you learned about the various types of information resources, subdivided according to form and content.

To determine whether or not you can use an information resource when answering your question, there are other aspects you can bear in mind - level and originality.

There are different levels of journals. What exactly are the differences between these journals and when is it best to use them?
Trade journals
Trade journals are aimed at specialists in a particular field. They contain practical applications of ideas, models, and theories. Articles usually describe the most commonly occurring situations in everyday practice. You can compare them to your own case. Examples of trade journals are: Modern English Teacher and Flight International.

- Non-specialist journals

  These publications are aimed at a general audience. This is why you will usually not find detailed descriptions of a research method or references to sources used. For this reason, you should not use publications of this kind as a source for your assignment. Examples of non-specialist journals include: Time, Newsweek or National Geographic.

- Scholarly journals

  Scholarly magazines contain articles written by scholars, for scholars. The research method is always clearly described and the sources used are described precisely. That way, you can see how the author obtained his information. In the articles, you will often find explanations for certain phenomena in the professional field. You can then link them to your own case. Examples of scholarly journals include: The Lancet, The Journal of Machine Learning Research en The Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.

### Originality

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You can also categorise information according to originality. A distinction is made between primary and secondary sources:

- Primary sources contain new information. This could be research reports, for example.

- Secondary sources use information from primary sources. They discuss a subject on the basis of various articles and publications. They often give a clear picture of what research has been carried out and published in relation to a particular subject. Possible examples include handbooks or review articles.