Also, the United Nations has an extensive set of databases that support its programs. Many governments around the world also have good web sites and databases from which to draw data. However, as the government becomes less democratic, its database becomes more suspect as political agendas begin to intrude. The resources available to support the research may also compromise the information. The comparability of the information across societies is also an issue.
Journalistic sources tend to vary greatly.
One way to deal with this type of source is to consult several, especially for information on national and international issues. Print media can present a great deal more information than can visual media. For example, the entire script of a thirty-minute newscast on Headline News or a network broadcast on television will not fill a single page of a newspaper. For most purposes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and a few other large daily metropolitan based newspapers will be much more reliable sources that will small local papers. Similarly, Newsweek or Time will be much more reliable than will less widely circulated or more narrowly focused magazines.