Information Cycle

Unfiltered, informal communications produced by communities of people who share an interest in a common subject or discipline. E-mail, personal conversations, conference papers, unpublished diaries, meeting minutes, phone calls, newsletters, memoranda, and other sources that may not pass through the usual publishing, broadcasting, and distribution channels.

Strengths:

• Some historically inaccessible information is now made available on the Internet
• Often available sooner than conventional literature
• May allow the reader/user to "listen in" on active debate of current issues

Considerations:

• Dramatic variation in quality
• Can be hard to identify, search for, and access
• May require validation of data, especially with Internet sources
• Assumes a fairly high level of familiarity with an issue or topic
• Usually not good for gathering background information, but great for gathering clues and easily-overlooked insights
• Target audience: Any group sharing a common interest -- you may need to look up some terms

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