How does information go from being just an idea, to becoming a publication?

All information starts as an idea, a thought or as informal speech, writing or even as a drawing. As information is communicated, it can be published in many formats. Some formats take much longer to be published than others.

Click on play below to watch a short animation. This animation will help you see how information is produced. You will also see how information published, about a topic or event, can change over time. Something that becomes a book probably started as an idea or even as a small conversation. The "invisible college" is informal information. It is the ideas, speech, and other communication taking place among individuals and groups before it becomes officially published.

It is important to understand how and when information is published.

Knowing how long it takes for information to become available makes you a better researcher.