UWM Libraries Research and Course Guides: Information Studies 120: Information Technology Ethics: Tech Topics and Tech Articles

Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, Third Edition

Use this specialized Encyclopedia to identify background articles on the information system or technology you choose as the focus of your final research paper. Check the end of each article for citations to new sources.

Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences by Marcia J. Bates; Mary Niles Maack
ISBN: 9780849397127
Publication Date: 2009-12-17

How Do I Find Data & Statistics?

Data & Statistics Guide
This guide overviews the differences between data and statistics, covers how to find both, and discusses how to cite them.

Sage Data
Provides access to a wide variety of economic, social, and political indicators including data sets from the U.S. government, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the OECD, Eurostat, the United Nations, the world's stock exchanges, and Zillow. Offers customized graphing and mapping.

Pew's Internet and American Life Research Project
A set of reports that will provide statistical snapshots of how Americans use technology.

Source Types

There are many different information sources out there but not all materials will be appropriate or useful for your assignment. To locate the best sources for your research project:

Make sure you understand the requirements of your assignment. Some may require or exclude specific types of sources, while others may call for a mix. Ask your instructor if you are not sure.
Review the information in the other two tabs of this box: Analyze Your Information Needs and Different Source Types.

To analyze your information needs, here are some questions to help you determine aspects of your topic that you might wish to explore and types of sources that may be appropriate.

Treatment of Topic / Perspective?

Do you need overviews or broad coverage of your topic? Do you need a description of an event? If so, explore popular sources, such as magazines or newspapers.
Do you need facts? Background information? Statistics? If so, you may want to try reference tools, statistical sources, or credible websites.
Do you need current news or information about trends within a specific industry or type of business and/or information from practitioners in a specific field? If so, try trade journals.
If you need more in-depth treatment of a topic that may include research studies, consult scholarly sources, such as scholarly journals or books.

Timeliness?

Is timeliness an issue? Do you need current information? If so, look for recent publication dates and newer editions.
Do you need a historical perspective?

Subject Focus?

Do you need a specific subject area or discipline such as business, health sciences, or humanities? Or perhaps a mix?
For example, if you are researching health insurance coverage for alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and massage, would you look for information published in the field of business or for information in the health sciences or both?

There are many different types of information sources. This chart briefly describes a few of the more common source types.

When evaluating sources keep in mind the following:

Currency: The timeliness of the information.

Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.

Authority: The source of the information.

Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the informational content.

Purpose: The reason the information exists.

Article Databases

ACM Digital Library
Access to all ACM journals and selected journals and publications of ACM affiliated organizations, including conference proceedings. Why can't I access some of this content?
Library & Information Science Source
Library & Information Science Source provides full text of journal articles and indexing of books, research reports and conference proceedings. Subject coverage includes librarianship, classification, cataloging, bibliometrics, online information retrieval, information management, search engines, printed and electronic information sources, the information industry, scholarly communication, and electronic publishing.
ProQuest One Business
Combines multiple ProQuest business information databases - including e.g. the ABI/INFORM Collection and J.P. Morgan Research - to a total of more than 130 million documents. Global coverage in business and economics includes full-text journals, dissertations, and working papers, as well as trade publications, market research reports, and key periodicals such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Economist. Library Guide
Web of Science
Web of Science includes citations from the Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts & Humanities Citation Index, BIOSIS Citation Index, Zoological Record, Current Contents Connect, Data Citation Index, and the Derwent Innovation Index. Our Web of Science subscription includes articles published from 1987 to the present; updated weekly. Useful For: systematic reviews, Highly Cited papers, citation metrics