When information is produced has a direct impact on the format and quality of the source. Breaking news sources are the first to publish about an event, while later news reports are higher quality because they have time to verify the information before publication. Even later, books are published and benefit from a thorough analysis of the event.
Considering where your sources are situated in the information timeline can help you evaluate the quality of each source.
from the John M. Pfau Library is the library on the campus of California State University
The video above explores the differences between popular and scholarly sources in the context of the information cycle.
Information Timeline Graphic by adstarkel. Used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0