Week 2 

1. I have to do a paper on biogeography but I don’t really know what that is. Where should I begin to find out?
   • I would first use a secondary source, such as an encyclopedia, to determine what biogeography is. And encyclopedia is in the years later portion of the information cycle. I would choose this source because an encyclopedia could give me an overview about the topic. It would help me narrow down what I want to write about biogeography.

2. I have heard that the climate is changing and some people say it is getting warmer. Where can I find information on climate change?
   • I would begin my research with periodicals such as a peer-reviewed scientific journal. I would choose this source because scientific journals are written by scholars and experts. The source is reliable and credible because it is peer-reviewed and almost always has a list of references listed at the end of the publication. Periodicals are in the months to a year after and event within the information cycle.

3. I am a psychology major and I am going to be doing an internship at a group home. I hear that the young people who live there have problems with anger. Where can I find professional/ practical information from experts on how to intervene if someone gets mad and wants to fight?
   • I would look for the needed information in a secondary source like a textbook about anger management. I would choose this source because it would include a compilation of practical and professional information from other primary and secondary sources needed to understand the subject. A textbook would be in the years after phase of the information cycle.

4. A professor is writing a grant to the National Science Foundation to get funding for a research project to study the effect of DDT on ground water. The NSF needs to know that there is a foundation of research on which to build this study. Where will the professor get the kind of information that will convince the NSF to fund the project?
   • I would search for primary sources that include research about the subject of ground water contamination. A peer-reviewed scientific journal would be a good resource because the data and information included in the research articles would be verified by other scholars. This source would be in the 6 months to a year or years after phase of the information cycle.

5. I heard on the radio that there are killer bees coming north from Central America. How do I find out if they are in Washington State, yet?
   • I would search for a relevant newspaper article or a recent survey done on bee keepers and farms in Washington. I would select these sources because they would be reporting on current events and statistics. Both sources are primary sources and could be in the weeks after phase of the information cycle.

6. I have heard that there was a man who was president of the United States for one day. Where would I find out who that was?
   • You could find out who that was with an encyclopedia of United States presidents. I would choose this resource because it would be a quick and reliable source of information. An encyclopedia of US presidents would be in the years after phase of the information cycle.

7. My instructor wants peer reviewed articles for my research paper. Where can I find them?
   • Peer-reviewed articles can be found on the EBSCOhost website though the WSU Library. I would choose this source because it is easy to search by a specific topic or keyword, authors and date of publication. Peer-reviewed articles are in the months to a year after an event in the information cycle.

8. Where can I find some firsthand information (primary sources) about the pioneers who came west?
   • Good primary sources about the pioneers in the American West would be journals, memoirs, autobiographies, photographs, diaries, census data, newspapers from the time period or even artwork. Many of these primary sources could be found in secondary sources such as a textbook about the American pioneers. Both primary and secondary sources about this topic would obviously be in the years after an event phase in the information cycle.

9. I need to know everything I can about honey bees. Where should I look?
   • I would look for textbooks about entomology or a credible website about honey bees. These sources would both be secondary sources. I would look at these sources first because they would include a variety of information compiled from primary sources in one location.

10. What kind of outfits does Lady Gaga wear?
    • I would look at a secondary resource like articles from music magazines or fashion magazines. Magazines would be in the weeks after an event phase of the information cycle. Or to get current information and current popular opinion about Lady Gaga's latest fashion endeavors I would look at primary sources like E! News or some other entertainment news source. A source like E! News could be the 1^st source after and event or days after an event in the information cycle.

This exercise was very helpful for me to determine what sources are best suited for various types of information. I learned that not all credible sources are only primary sources and not all secondary sources are only considered non-credible. Through this exercise I have learned how to choose an appropriate source to suit my information needs more accurately which translates into spending less time aimlessly searching the internet or the library. Having a better understanding of the various types of sources, the information cycle, the scientific publication cycle and the types of periodicals with definitely help me with my information seeking needs in the future. Whether it's purely for pleasure or for one of my last research papers before graduation, I feel that I am better equipped for efficient information seeking than I was before.