What does the author mean?

[Mehrgan]

Hi,
Following you can see a piece of extract from the preface of a book. Could you please tell me what the difference between "source" and "resource" is?

"I have made use of a wide variety of sources, but in the interests of readability I have kept references and footnotes to a minimum. One resource upon which I have drawn extensively perhaps need some comment here: the literature of self-help. Scorned by many, to me it offers insights..."



Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[Mehrgan]

It seems that, in this case, sources could be any way that the author found information (books, the internet, conversations, papers, newspapers) while "one resource" he used were certain types of books.

Thanks for the reply. And at the same time, that unique resource is the literature of self-help, rather than a book. All that aside, can source and resource be used interchangably used in such contexts?


Thanks again.

 

[konungursvia]

Source is more specific, meaning an academically cited source. Resource is more general, meaning anything useful.

 

[apex2000]

Loosely, yes. Whereas most things come from a source, resource is a bit more particular.

When they looked at the source of the Nile they realised that there could be a number of resources taken from it - dam, hydro-electricity, irrigation for example and yet the river would continue from source to the sea.