Topic 6 Shape of the literature
Describing how information resources in a subject relate to one another, and the relative importance of these different resources, is sometimes called describing ‘the shape of the literature’. The shape of the literature is perhaps best described using a diagram which we will build up gradually.
Let us start with active research. By this we mean research that is current and not yet published, which is carried out in universities, in industry, and by learned societies. This information resource feeds all the other types of information resource in the subject area and can be viewed as the starting point for our diagram.
Our arrows are double headed because researchers themselves use other types of information resources, which help to stimulate and create active research.