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What types of media are there?

(Academic) information can be found not only in books, but also in numerous other types of media. We would like to introduce you to some common library items and terms commonly used in the library/academic field.

Type of mediaDefinitionSearch in...Citation example
ArticleSee "Article"- Academic databasesSee "Essay"
EssayShorter, self-contained work. E.g. articles in academic journals or anthologies- Academic databasesFengler, Silke; Luxbacher, Guenther (2011): "Maintaining a Common Culture" In: Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte 34 (4), pp. 303-328
Collection of essaysSee "collected works"- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIPSee "Collected works"
BibliographyBibliography on a specific category (e.g. on a topic or an author)- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIP
- many databases are bibliographies		Reference work, not usually cited in academic research
DissertationAcademic research for the award of a doctorate- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIP
- academic databases		Hoffmann, Till J. (2008): Waste. Philosophy, sociology and economics of abundance. Dissertation. University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück. Available online at d-nb.info/994755694/34
EncyclopaediaReference work (general or subject-specific), usually with longer entries and bibliographical references- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIP
- many databases are encyclopaedias		Reference work, not usually cited in academic research papers
FestschriftPublication with several contributions written by different authors, published to mark an anniversary- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIPSee "collective work"
Research reportThe reports present the current status or the results of research projects. The results are often published in the form of books or articles- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIP (for books)
- academic databases
- document servers of universities or a research institution		see "monograph" or "essay"
Habilitation thesisAcademic research for the acquisition of a teaching qualification (professorship)- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIP
- academic databases		See "dissertation"
HandbookOverview of a specialist field or topic- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIPSee "monograph" or "collective work" (depending on type)
Conference report / paperPublication with several contributions written by different authors, published as part of a conference- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIP
- academic databases		See "collective work"
Conference proceedingsSee conference report- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIP
- Academic databases		See "collective work"
TextbookBasic knowledge of a specialist field. The content is didactically prepared- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIPSee "Monograph"
EncyclopaediaReference work (general or subject-specific); in contrast to encyclopaedias with shorter articles and without references- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIP
- many databases are encyclopaedias		Reference work, not usually cited in academic research
Closed StacksSynonym for "journal". In academic research, the term "journals" is more common.
In libraries, the term "Closed Stacks" is used instead for rooms that are not open to the public		- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIPIt is not the journal that is cited, but the individual article. See "article"
Monograph (book)Self-employed publication in its own right, usually by a single author.- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIPMayer, Philipp (2015): 300 tips for academic writing. Paderborn: Schöningh
PaperCollective term for an academic research paper. Usually an essay, but can also refer to a student research project, etc. More rarely a monograph- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIP
- academic databases		See "monograph" or "essay"
ProceedingEnglish for "conference report"- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIP
- Academic databases		See "collective work"
ReportSee "research report"- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIP (for books)
- Research databases
- University or research institution document server		See "monograph" or "essay"
Collective work (book)Work with contributions from different authors on a general topic- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIPAs a rule, it is not the book that is cited, but the individual essay:
Baßler, Harald (2007): Discussions after presentations at academic conferences. In: Peter Auer (ed.): Reden und Schreiben in der Wissenschaft. Frankfurt/Main [et al:] Campus-Verl., pp. 133-156
StudyAcademic research on a topic. The results of a study can be published in various forms, e.g. as an essay or monograph- Academic databasesSee "monograph" or "article"
Conference proceedingsSee "conference report"- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIP
- Academic databases		See "collective work"
DictionaryFactual reference work, e.g. spelling, synonyms, foreign words, multilingual- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIPReference work, not usually cited in academic research papers
JournalUsually a regular publication with various articles etc. on a specific specialist field- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIPIt is not the journal that is cited, but the individual article. See "article"
NewspaperUsually daily (daily newspaper) or weekly (weekly newspaper) publication (not bound) with news, reports and a variety of other current content- Library catalogues, e.g: FILIPThe individual article is cited, not the newspaper. See "essay"

Some technical terms that you may also encounter in this context:

TermDefinition
Grey literature
Collective term for all non-published publications. The works can often only be obtained directly from the publisher.
Grey literature is often published by institutions and organisations (e.g. also brochures).
Primary literature
Original literature, writings by an author or source works (e.g. laws, certificates) that can become the subject of academic research.
Secondary literature
Publications that deal with original literature or primary literature, e.g. interpretations of novels, commentaries on legal texts.
Self-employed literature
Publications that form a complete unit in terms of content and physically, e.g. as a book.
They are not integrated into another publication, such as a journal or collective work.
Independent literature
Texts that are part of a self-employed published work (books, journals).
This primarily refers to essays.

Most types of media exist in both printed and electronic (digital) form. However, the publication type does not change the media type.

This list serves as an initial orientation and does not claim to be exhaustive. In reality, the boundaries are often blurred.