You may be most familiar with print and electronic resources, but information comes in many formats.

Printed materials: Books (hard bound and paper bound), journals and magazines, newspapers, government documents, maps and atlases. Many print materials are being replaced by electronic formats because they are easily accessible, available from a computer, and cheaper to reproduce.
Electronic (digital) materials: E-books, e-journals, web sites, databases that require computers or other specialized equipment to view. Digital materials are usually stored on a server accessible through the Internet or local server.
Microforms: Microforms are usually print materials that have been photographed in reduced size and are viewable only on special reader/printers.
Audio/Video: Analog or digital materials in specialized formats, such as music cds, LPs, dvds, vhs tapes, reel-to-reel tapes, cassettes.
Still Images/Art: Photographs, paintings, and other artistic formats need special handling.

When identifying an information source, it is important to note its format. If it is digital and on the Web, you may have easier access than if it's a microfilm and only available when the library is open.

NOTE: This doesn't mean you should only look for items on the Web; it just means you may need to plan ahead to get the items in less accessible formats. These may be the most valuable sources for your research.

NOTE: More specifics about information sources are covered in Module 2: DEFINING the Information Need.