INFORMATION CHARACTERISTICS
FACTUAL: Information that is simple, brief, straightforward, and not
arguable (e.g. Albany is the capital of New York State, the Arizona Diamondbacks
won the 2001 World Series, etc.). This information can appear in almost any
information source but is often most easily found using a
Reference
source.
Click here for an
actual example of factual information.
ANALYTICAL: Information that is detailed and usually the result of much research and interpretation of factual information (i.e. analysis). This kind of information is typically found in books and substantive periodical articles, especially those appearing in scholarly journals. Click here for an actual example of analytical information.
PRIMARY: Information that is original or first hand (e.g. a report of an experiment or experience, the actual words of a speech, video or sound recordings of a live event). Click here for an actual example of primary information.
SECONDARY: Information taken from other sources and summarized (i.e. second hand). Click here for an actual example of secondary information.
OBJECTIVE: Information that represents multiple points of view. Click here for an actual example of objective information.
SUBJECTIVE: Information that represents a single point of view. Click here for an actual example of subjective information.
TERTIARY: Information that only refers you to an information source (e.g. a footnote, a bibliographic citation, an entry in an index). Click here for an actual example of tertiary information.