At university, you will use a wide range of information sources to support your learning. These include textbooks, academic journals, newspaper articles, websites and more.
Some textbooks will be identified as essential reading, meaning they cover the core ideas and topics you need to understand your subject. Alongside these, you will be given recommended resources that explore themes in more detail, or offer different perspectives. Using a variety of sources helps you to:
Click on the different types of resources listed below for more information.
Textbooks provide comprehensive information on a particular subject. They are structured to support learning and instruction, often including:
Textbooks are usually written by subject matter experts and are often reviewed by peers to ensure accuracy and value. They can be available in print or electronically and can be updated to reflect new developments in the field.
An edited book is a book where each chapter is written by a different author(s). The whole book is put together by one or more editors. The editors choose the topic, invite authors to write chapters and make sure everything fits together well.
Take a look at an edited book:
A journal is a type of publication that contains articles written by experts about a specific subject. These articles are usually based on research, experiments or detailed studies. Journals are an important resource at university as they:
Take a look at a journal:
As well as an article published in it:
A newspaper article is a written report published in a newspaper or online news site. It usually covers current events, public opinions, interviews or investigations. Articles are written by journalists and aim to inform, explain or sometimes persuade readers. Newspaper articles can be valuable sources of information, not only for current awareness of topics, but also for historical content.
