As well as books and journal articles, you may be asked or expected to read more widely and read other kinds of text. It's important to be aware of the potential strengths and weaknesses of different types of source so that you can make good decisions about when to use them in your work.

Type of text	Characteristics	Strengths	Weaknesses
Book	A written or printed work of fiction or fact. May be electronic.	Good for clear overview of a topic.	Not so good for up to the minute information.
Newspaper	A regular publication containing current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. May be online.	Good for daily information.	Not so good for balanced and well researched information.
Journal	A regular publication containing articles on a particular academic subject. Presents new research. Usually electronic.	Good for latest research that has been critically reviewed by experts.	Not so good for broad overview of a subject.
Web page	An information resource that can be easily created by anyone on any topic. Online.	Good for very up to date information.	Not so good for reliable or accurate information.
Trade journal / popular journal	A regular publication containing new products plus information for a specific sector of business. Usually electronic.	Good for latest product news.	Not so good for detailed and objective reports.