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Books, Websites, or Journals? The Information Cycle

Knowing where to look for information on a topic is a lot easier of you have some idea of how information is produced. Follow our "event" through it's entire lifecycle to see how and when information about it is created and published.

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Event Happens... A Day later ... A Week ... Months ... 2 Years ... 10 Years ...





An Event Happens . . .

An Event Happens: Initial Information (up to 24 hours later):
On December 21, 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 blew up in mid-air over Lockerbie, Scotland killing all 259 people aboard as well as a number of people on the ground below. The disaster was caused by a terrorist bomb. Almost immediately reports appear in the media - on TV, on radio, and in the news. These reports may include:
  • news wire reports
  • first attempts at who, what, when and where
  • not much on why
  • quick information
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    A day later, days later . . .

    Articles appear in newspapers, on TV, radio and on the Internet. Characteristics of Newspaper Articles:
    The Lexis-Nexis general news database lists over 30 articles about the Lockerbie disaster between December 22 and December 31, 1988 - just a few days after it happened. For example:

    "The Crash of Flight 103". Craig R. Whitney. The New York Times, late city edition. Dec. 23, 1988. p. A1 .

    		 Depending on the significance of the event, coverage may be prolific or sparse.
  • aimed at general public
  • covers subjects of interest, current events
  • articles written by professional journalists
  • coverage is up to date (daily or weekly)
  • content includes facts and may include statistics, photographs, analysis, editorial opinion
  • Slant tends to be mainstream/neutral
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    A week, weeks later . . .

    Articles appear in popular magazines Characteristics of popular magazine articles:
    Using SearchBank from the Library's web page, we found over 25 articles in popular magazines, weeks after the incident happened. For example:

    "Diabolically Well-Planned, (the Flight 103 Disaster)". Time Magazine. January 9, 1989. pp. 26-28.
  • readers are the general public or a knowledgeable layperson
  • covers popular subjects, current affairs
  • writers range from professional journalists to fiction writers and essayists
  • strong emphasis on reporting facts but usually reflects editorial bias/slant of the magazine
  • no bibliography or list of sources
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    A month, six months later . . .

    Articles appear in scholarly and academic journals: Characteristics of scholarly journals and conference papers:
    Specialists in various academic fields have their original research accepted for publication by various peer-reviewed journals. For example:

    Meeta, Sheetal. "How Lockerbie Is Healing Its Psychological Scars." The New Scientist. vol. 132. November 2, 1991. p.13.

    This is also when conferences and symposia may be held on the topic. If it is of national significance, congressional hearings may be held at this point.
  • audience is scholars, specialists in the field, and university students
  • covers research results, articles usually theoretical in nature
  • written by scholars and specialists, usually with Ph.Ds
  • contains detailed examination of subject, statistical analysis, written in technical language
  • includes detailed bibliography or list of sources
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    A year, years later . . .

    Books about the subject are published: Characteristics of books:
    Over time, books treating the topic are published. The speed at which they reach the public depends on the subject and the market. A search of the WorldCat database from the library's web page found this book:

    Goddard, Donald. Trail of the Octopus: From Beirut to Lockerbie, Inside the DIA (defense intelligence agency). London: Bloomsbury Press, 1993.

    Books may start appearing the year of an event, and continue being published for years to come.
  • audience ranges from scholars to the general public
  • in-depth coverage of a topic, or a compilation of scholarly articles and essays on it
  • written by scholars and specialists
  • currency varies, usually about two years
  • content ranges from general discussion to detailed analysis
  • includes bibliography or list of sources
  • perspective or slant is entirely dependent on the author; may be sponsored by a professional association or political group
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    Five to Ten years later . . .

    The subject is included in Reference Books: Characteristics of reference books:
    As time goes by, knowledge about a subject becomes established. it then appears in reference books such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks. This encyclopedia is in the reference section of the library:

    "December 21 Mid-air Explosion". in The Encyclopedia of American Facts and Dates, 10th edition. ed. Gordon Carruth. NY: HarperCollins, 1997. p. 814.
  • audience ranges from scholars to the general public
  • factual information, overviews, summaries, definitions
  • written by scholars and specialists
  • currency varies, usually takes 4-10 years for encyclopedia articles to appear
  • content includes summaries and analysis, amy include statistics and bibliographies
  • perspective or slant should be neutral but book may be sponsored by a professional association or political group
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