Information Timeline

Before you start looking for sources, you should consider how and when information is created. This is called the Information Timeline.

By thinking about your research needs and when the most appropriate information was created, you can save yourself time in the research process.

Example 1: if you are writing an academic paper on the evolution of military use of artificial intelligence, a book or journal article would be a relevant source, but a blog posting might not be.
Example 2: If you are looking to buy a new vehicle, a blog posting or magazine review may be more appropriate than a journal article.