Research Unbound: A Library Orientation for Transfer, Upper-Division, and Graduate Students

Information Source: Books

Sometimes called a monograph in libraries, books are in-depth, detailed works with a unifying topic. For instance, a book might offer its reader an all-encompassing look at the history of the American Civil War, or it could detail in step-by-step fashion how to code with the programming language Python. Regardless of its underlying topic or structure (if one author or many authors contribute), books have several characteristics in common:

• Their length allows the author(s) to cover a topic in depth, including its historical perspective and societal context.
• Books provide good background information on a topic or issue.
• The publication process is long - they may not be the best resources for current and/or evolving issues.
• They are published once (this is what the term monograph refers to) -- that is, they're not published in regular intervals, though a new edition may come out after a book is initially published.

You should consider using a book as an informational resource if you...

• Need comprehensive information or summaries of research on a topic.
• Want to understand and put your topic in context with other important issues.
• Hope to find authoritative information on different angles of a topic.