The Information Lifecycle
After an event happens, whether it is a natural disaster, a controversy, or the publication of an influential book, the types of information sources that typically become available first include social media posts, blog posts, TV, and radio news. Due to writing and review times, it usually takes months before scholarly articles addressing a recent event get published. With that in mind, as you get started with your research, consider what types of information may be available on your topic and/or key events. When researching a recent event, you can look for online popular sources that address your event specifically, as well as scholarly articles or books about events that are similar or related.