# 2. Choosing Sources

You can find a wealth of information on the internet and in sources accessible from the library, but how do you find a source that is relevant to you?

Where you search largely determines what you find. Research data on young people with obesity can be found in a different place than data on the market for dietary supplements. In order to answer your (research) question, you need to search for information in different types of sources.

Types of information

It is important that the information source you choose matches your information needs. To do this, you need to be able to distinguish between different types of information, such as:

- News
- Theory
- Legislation
- Market reports
- Company information
- Information about trends
- Application of a theory
- Statistical information
- Scientific information

Each type of information has its own source. This section explains where you can find the different types of information.

More and more information can be found on the internet, but:

- The quality of the information is not always easy to determine.
- You often cannot access the information because it is hidden behind a paywall.

Start with sources provided by the library:

- The library's sources are selected based on quality, offer structured information and are purchased specifically for Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and your study programme. You can use them free of charge.
- You can start at home: you can consult the library sources on your own laptop. If you want to access one of the sources, you will be asked to log in with your RUAS account.
- You can access the library sources from home even more easily by installing the Library Access tool in your browser.

On the library website you will find:

- START, the library's search engine.
- A complete list of the databases you can access through the library.
- Information for each study programme.
- Explanations about "searching and finding" via the Literature research guide.
- Information about support with searching and finding.
- Contact details.

This section covers the following topics:

2.1 START

2.2 Databases

2.3 Digital repositories

2.4 Newspapers and magazines

2.5 Trend and market reports

2.6 Books and e-books

2.7 Other types of information

2.8 Search engines

2.9 Google scholar

2.10 Open educational sources