Types of information

• Scholarly information is drawn from the research of field experts, must be peer-reviewed before publication, and includes references and citations for verification
• Professional/Trade information presents current news and trends about a specific industry to experts and enthusiasts by individuals knowledgeable in the field
• Entertainment/Popular information is meant for the general population and may use entertaining hooks to catch attention or be easily understood
• Opinion information consists of viewpoints, judgments, or statements that are not conclusive and vary from person to person
• Providers of information include academic institutions, government agencies, the private sector, and private individuals
• Primary sources are firsthand accounts that bring us close to the original event or idea, while secondary sources comment on or analyze primary sources
• Tertiary sources refer to primary or secondary sources and provide an overview of a topic without original material
• Attribution and data triangulation involve different levels of source attribution: on the record, on background, on deep background, and off the record
• Scholarly information is drawn from the research of field experts, must be peer-reviewed before publication, and includes references and citations for verification
• Professional/Trade information presents current news and trends about a specific industry to experts and enthusiasts by individuals knowledgeable in the field
• Entertainment/Popular information is meant for the general population, often using entertaining hooks to catch attention or be easily understood, and is derived from or a discussion of other people's work
• Opinion is a viewpoint, judgment, or statement that is not conclusive and varies from person to person
• Providers of information include academic institutions, government agencies, the private sector, and private individuals
• Academic institutions confer academic degrees, are dedicated to education and research, and seek knowledge for themselves and their community
• Government agencies gather and disseminate information to build a well-informed citizenry
• The private sector includes businesses and organizations providing goods and services for profit
• Private individuals, not representing another entity, are motivated to tell the truth and help when giving information
• Primary sources are firsthand accounts bringing us close to the original ideas or findings, while secondary sources comment on or analyze primary sources
• Tertiary sources refer to primary or secondary sources, giving an overview of a topic but rarely containing original material
• Attribution and data triangulation involve different levels of source attribution: on the record, on background, on deep background, and off the record
• ON THE RECORD

  This is the strongest form of attribution because the identity of the source of information is fully known. This includes anything relevant about how the source obtained the information.
• ON BACKGROUND All the statements are directly quotable, but cannot be attribute by name or specific title to the person commenting.
• ON DEEP BACKGROUND Anything that is said in the interview is usable but not in direct quotation and for attribution. The reporter writes it on his or her own.
• OFF THE RECORD This means a source has essentially told a journalist a secret. A good journalist will never report on off-the-record conversations, not even to say they had them.