Introduction
Problem: Using web-based resources can be very difficult at times and has often resulted in waste of time among other problems including plagiarism if not used correctly. Furthermore, there are some resources that are not valid or are not authentic with the type of information they provide, hence they cannot be considered reliable. Students therefore have to find sources that are authoritative. I therefore find it very hard at times getting information to use in my research. Guidance is very important and can offer a chance to proper conduct with regard to the web and internet. Finding relevant sources citing them property and avoiding plagiarism and also communicating out efficiently is very tricky when not addressed with the seriousness it deserves.
Information Needed For Solving the Problem
The use of the website for learning is going to revolutionize learning all over the world. However despite that fact that internet has received so much recognition and acceptance by many people, Instructors should not just make assumptions that the students know how to use these resources. Internet as an instrument for research and learning needs proper understanding for an efficient and relevant research to be achieved (Schmidt, 1997). There are some very important skills that the students should have. To solve the problem of using internet for research, it would be proper to attain information on what sources are available on the internet. Basically, it’s often very hard for students to get the relevant materials for study since the internet is too broad (Goett & Foote, 2000). Second information that is needed is about myself as a student (skills). This is about the computer skill that I have. The use of the internet and computer for that matter is usually not an easy task especially when one does not have competent skills for computing and searching the web. Basic training is very necessary to address issues like standard conduct. Knowing where to begin the research is vital (Schmidt, 1997). This can be a problem especially when one does not have the specific questions at hand. Nonetheless when the questions are to open junks of information can also be found and narrowing down could be a great problem.
It’s also very important to know the advantages and disadvantages of web based research. Basically the most salient benefit is that one has access to broad range of sources. It’s time saving as a result and cost efficient as well. Web-based research has the disadvantage of integrity. There is a lot of irrelevant information that get to the internet hence some could be misleading. Specific information is can be hard to access as some URL could not be available to the user (Goett & Foote, 2000).
Evaluating the Relevant Information
After determining the type of information needed for the research, the next step is to evaluate the applicable information to help carry out the research. Basically there are a lot of issues that need considering in this case. It’s critical to understand the appropriate point to begin; how to use the search engines and how to make note as well as assess the quality of the web sources (Schmidt, 1997).
Knowing where to begin can be very beneficial in ensuring that the search is relevant. There are several points one can begin from, For instance university libraries and business sources (Krantz & Dalal, 2000). There are some very famous libraries in the world that offer superior information. Students need to be familiar with such URLs and links. Being familiar with reference sources is also basic necessity that can help determine relevant information (Krantz & Dalal, 2000). There are some important books like encyclopedias, atlases and so on. Resources list is one of the common sources that can be found on the web. Most universities, businesses and other organizations all produce such list.
The online databases are very important and so are the related search engines. They are also very common and it’s important for the student to be aware of their strengths and major common disadvantages. Knowing how to write queries is almost a must. Assessing the relevance of the content is way of determining validity and hence dependability of the source. It can be so frustrating when wrong words are used in the research (Krantz & Dalal, 2000).
Important Information to Consider for Solving the Problem
The first thing to be aware of is to determine what topic or research is under question. When this has been identified, then I can be able to come up with the proper words and phrases for the search. Basically this has to come when I have evaluated my computing skills. This means that I need to be aware of the proper conduct including copyright rules, netiquettes and plagiarism issues (Goett & Foote, 2000). There are copyright laws that regulate or guide proper use of scholarly or academic materials in the internet as well as anywhere else. A second issue is to find relevant sources which have the main words and phrases I will be looking for. These sources are likely to be relevant if they reproduce most of the wording am looking for. Plagiarism here becomes an issue. Use of other peoples work without acknowledging is an academic offense. I will hence follow the rules of paraphrasing, quoting and citing. Making notes is hence very important rather than having to print out volumes of pages (Goett & Foote, 2000).
Conclusion
Web-based research requires skills just as those that apply in the library and hence it’s very imperative to learn the new search and study strategies that apply to internet and computing. Without these, study on the web would be very irrelevant at times and very problematic.
Reference
Goett, J.A & Foote, K.E. (2000). Cultivating Student Research and Study Skills in Web-Based Learning Environments. Journal of Geography in Higher Education. Oxford: Vol. 24, Issue. 1; Pg. 92, 8 Pgs
Krantz, J. H., & Dalal, R. (2000). Validity of Web-Based Psychological Research. In M. H. Birnbaum’s (Ed.) Psychological Experiments on the Internet. San Diego, CA: Academic.
Schmidt, W. C. (1997). World-Wide Web Survey Research: Benefits, Potential Problems, and Solutions. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, and Computers, 29, 274-279.