It is important to think critically about possible sources of information for a paper or project. There are many other questions to consider when doing research. The results of scholarly research are often eventually published in books, and made available in university libraries. Books can provide an in-depth overview of a topic, often with different chapters or essays covering different perspectives of that topic. These articles may be in print or electronic form, and may be either in the library or on the Internet.
Articles cover subject areas too new, or even too obscure or temporary, to be covered by books.
Articles can help follow trends of interest or opinion at any given period. Current issues give contemporary information, and old issues give record of past ideas, and accomplishments. Articles often appear in periodicals before they are published as books or parts of books. Articles in popular magazines like Vogue or Sports Illustrated contain information written for the general public. Magazines can be useful for introductory reading about your topic or for collecting fast facts.