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Articles, Books and . . . ? Understanding the Many Types of Information Found in Libraries

Books

What They Are

Use Them When You Need...

Long works, usually 100 pages or more.
  • In-depth research on large topics.
  • Analysis of an issue's context and consequences, comparison of multiple views, or broad interdisciplinary approaches to a topic.
  • Historical information.

Books are, well, books. Everyone knows about books! But there are actually a variety of types of books, and knowing what type of book you're reading will determine how you use it. See below for some common types of books... and note that reference books have their own page.

Physical Media

Books can be in paper or online; both types are listed in the Library Catalog. See our E-books guide if you're specifically looking for online versions. Do be aware that e-book licenses aren't shared by libraries. (Otherwise the publisher would only be able to sell one copy!) So you can only use e-books that UCLA has subscribed to.

Scholarly Sources

See below for how to identify scholarly books, also known as monographs. Non-scholarly books are usually referred to as "popular press books."

Primary or Secondary Sources

Most books are considered secondary sources, especially since they take a few years to write and get published. Some exceptions include:

  • original literature - these are the primary sources for literary studies
  • autobiographies
  • reproductions of diaries, correspondence, and other manuscript content

Scholarly Books (Monographs)

A monograph is a scholarly book, written by a specialist and intended for other specialists in the field. They're usually published by a university press (like our own UC Press) or a dedicated academic publishing company. However, even mainstream popular presses occasionally publish academic works. Look for these signs of "scholarliness:"

  • Sources are cited, and the work includes a bibliography or list of references.
  • Author has valid academic credentials (degrees in the appropriate field, affiliation with an academic organization).
  • Reviewed in peer-reviewed journals.

When in doubt, ask your professor or TA whether a specific source is acceptable.

Textbooks

Unfortunately, the Library purchases few textbooks due to their cost and rapid replacement by new editions. However, we do get some so it doesn't hurt to look.

Anthologies

Anthologies are a cross-over example. They're books that contain articles (chapters). Anthologies may be collections of articles by a single author, or collections of articles on a theme from different authors chosen by an editor. Many anthologies reprint articles already published elsewhere, but some contain original works.

Anthologies are rarely peer-reviewed, but they still may be considered scholarly works, depending on the reputation of the authors and editors. Use the same criteria listed for scholarly books.

Of course, reprints of articles originally published in peer-reviewed journals retain their "scholarly" status. (Note that most style manuals have special rules for citing reprinted works.)

Dissertations

The UCLA Library provides access to the full-text of many dissertations through our subscription to ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. The link to full-text does not always appear in the UCLA Library Catalog or on the  page. If you find a reference to a dissertation (often in an article database), the best strategy is to go to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses website and search for the Document title. If the full-text is available, there will be a  link to click on.

Master's theses are usually only available at the institution where they were written. They may be requested on interlibrary loan.