The Information Cycle is the progression of media coverage of a specific newsworthy event. Understanding the information cycle will help you to better know what information is available on your topic and better evaluate information sources covering that topic. Information is often published following this pattern:
Information can be found on television, social media, and the web. This information is quick and lacks detail, but is initially updated. It covers the who, what, why, when, and where of the event and is intended for a general audience. It is written by bloggers, social media participants, and journalists.
Explanations and timelines of the event begin to appear in professionally published newspapers. Written by journalists and intended for a general audience, it begins to include more factual information and may include statistics, quotes, photographs, and editorial coverage
Long-form stories in popular magazines and news magazines begin to discuss the impact on society, culture, and public policy. These articles are written by a variety of people, including journalists and essayists, and often include commentary provided by scholars and experts in the field being discussed. These articles are aimed at a general audience or specific non-professional groups but include more detailed analysis, interviews, and various perspectives.
Scholars, researchers, and professionals provide focused, detailed analysis and theoretical, empirical research. This information has been reviewed by other scholars, researchers, and professionals to ensure the credibility and accuracy of the results. The information is intended for scholars, researchers, and university students.
In-depth coverage can be found in books, which can range from an in-depth analysis written by scholars to popular books written by journalists. Information also begins to appear in reference books to provide facts, overviews, and summaries of the event. Additionally, government reports begin to be released, which include information written by government panels, organizations, and committees and are focused on public policy, legislation, and statistical analysis.
| Consider the... | Scholarly Publications are... | Trade Publications are... | Popular Publications are... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length of Articles |
Lengthy, often more than 10 pages, and include areas such as abstracts, methods, results, and discussions. |
Short, fewer than 10 pages, and often lacking structural subsections. | Short, fewer than 10 pages, and lack structural subsections. |
| Audience | Written for academics or professionals with advanced language. | Written for people in specific trades, industries, or professions, as well as interested non-specialists. | Written for the general public in non-specialized language. |
| Authority & Expertise | Written by academics, specialists, or researchers in the field. | Written by industry professionals, sometimes journalists with subject expertise; author credentials are usually provided. | Written by journalists or professional writers. |
| Bibliography | Well researched and includes information about their sources in an area called References, Works Cited, or Footnotes so a reader can consult the material that the author used. | References may be provided in a brief bibliography, but are not required. | Sometimes researched, but sources are seldom included with the article. A good editor will check the writer's sources. |
| Frequency | Published monthly, quarterly, or yearly. | Published weekly or monthly. | Published daily, weekly, or monthly. |
| Inclusions | Not decorated with images and only have specialized advertising if any is included. They will also include reviews of the literature, charts, data, and tables along with descriptions of how their research was conducted. | Articles may include decorative photographs and graphic layouts similar to popular publications. They may include advertisements for products, but they will typically be relevant to that field or industry. | Print versions may be full of decorative photographs, illustrations, and text. They also include a lot of product advertisements. |
| Subjects | Confined to a single, specific aspect of a subject area such as music theory, European political science, film studies, language development, or stem cell research. | Confined to a particular field or industry with the intent to provide practical information about current news, trends, and products. | Often inclusive of many subjects, such as in Time, People, and Newsweek, or focused on a single subject with the intention of entertaining such as in Wired or Sports Illustrated. |
| Vocabulary | Written with technical or specialized vocabulary unique to a subject area. | Written with specialized terminology or jargon of the field, but not as technical as a scholarly publication. | Written in conventional or conversational language, appropriate for most readers |
| Publication Process | Sent to experts in the subject who review the article to evaluate credibility and accuracy before being published. This process is known as "peer-review". | Articles are evaluated by editorial staff who may be subject experts, but articles are not peer-reviewed. | Sent to an editor who may know nothing of the topic. The editor might use a fact-checker, who also may not be familiar with the topic, to verify some information. |
