Farjana Sharmin Anika

Lecturer
Dept. Information Science and Library management
Khulna Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah University

Information Sources
Introduction:
An information source is a collection of information elements that describe a natural
phenomenon or a concept. The quality and reliability of information sources can vary widely,
and it is important to evaluate them critically.
Definition of Information Sources:
An information source is a person, thing, or place from which information comes, arises, or is
obtained. Any person, organization, or medium that provides information on a particular subject.
Information sources can include books, journals, newspapers, websites, databases, government
documents, interviews, and personal communication.
Types of Information Sources
Information sources are broadly divided into Published and Unpublished sources. Traditionally
published sources of information include primarily Books, Periodicals, Newspapers etc. and
unpublished sources are thesis, reports, diaries, manuscripts etc.
However, mainly the sources of information are two types –
1.Documentary Sources.
2.Non-Documentary Sources.
1.Documentary Sources:
These kinds of sources are documented in any media such as print or electronic form. It is divided
into three forms-

Fig: Documentary Sources

 I. Primary Sources:

Primary documents exist of their own and usually contain original information based on the first
formulation of any new observation, experiment, ideas, etc. It is the first published records of
original documents. A monograph, an article in a journal, text book, and encyclopedia are all
primary documents.

II. Secondary Sources:

These sources offer an analysis or restatement of primary sources. They often try to describe or
explain primary sources. Some of the secondary sources are Textbooks, edited works, books and
articles that interpret or review research works, Bibliographies, Indexes etc.

III. Tertiary Sources:

It contains information distilled and collected from primary and secondary sources of information.
Most of these sources do not contain subject knowledge. Some of the tertiary sources of
information are bibliography of Bibliographies, directories, guidebooks, manuals, handbooks etc.

2. Non-Documentary Sources:

The non-documentary sources of information can be defined as those sources and resources of
information that are not contained in any document. The non-documentary source comprises of
formal and informal sources. Formal sources include information of research organizations,
societies, industries, government departments, universities, consultants, etc. Informal sources
include human sources, conversation with colleagues, consultants, experts, resource persons, mass
media, etc.

The main categories of non-documentary sources are:

Fig: Non-documentary Sources

1.Institutions/ Organizations as Sources of Information

Institutions and organizations are also sources of information. There are various categories of
institutions and each one makes available certain type of information for different target users. It
is a known fact that information made available by institutions/organizations is always authentic.
Various institutions that make available information always sought out by the users are:

 Academic institutions
 Research and development organizations
 Government Ministries.
 Exhibitions and trade fairs
 Publishing houses
 Database vendors
 Museums and archives
 Libraries and information centers etc.

2. Humans as Sources of Information

People ask other people for a lot for information. Human beings are considered an important
source of information because educational background, knowledge, experience, maturity makes
certain individuals an authority on certain topics. Humans serve as useful sources of information
for latest information which has not been recorded in any form.

There are various categories of human that can be considered as sources of information:

 Library Consultants
 Experts
 Resource Persons
 Patent Attorneys
 Common Persons etc.

3. Mass Media as Source of Information:

Mass media is a means of communication of information through broadcasting and telecasting or

a combination of these two for the masses, which is more effective than any documentary sources.
Many people around the world rely on this form of media for news and entertainment, and globally,
it is a huge industry.

4. Internet as Source of Information:

Internet with its many other uses is also used as a source of information on almost any subject
imaginable. Thus, it has become the best source of information as there is everything on which we
can find information by browsing the internet. Like World Wide Web (WWW), is collection of
websites on the Internet. WWW offers information on any topic you want.

Conclusion:

In the modern times, information is available from a variety of sources. The sources of information
can be documentary or non-documentary. Besides published and electronic information, we have
studied that organizations are also a valuable source of information.