When it comes to academic research, the internet has become the go-to place for many students looking for answers as well as ideas for their essays. With so many academic sources available to a student, it can sometimes be so overwhelming.
The key is to filter their research results to just the ones that add value to their research. Using the internet is just like physically going to the library but on the internet, however, there are a few things a student needs to know when it comes to using the internet for academic research.
The Internet is good, but do not solely rely on it
A student might get an assignment topic at their college or university that the library does not have the information they are looking for. This can be a kick in the teeth for a student but that is where the internet comes in to save the day. Using both the internet and library sources is highly recommended because some content on either source might be outdated and cross-checking might be necessary.
Before hitting the Internet, narrow your research
There is so much information on the internet from thousands and thousands of web pages for a student to have access to. Information is added on the internet all the time and it is easy for a student to get lost in it. Before you decide to use the internet to get your academic research off the ground, take a moment to think about the type of content you are looking for.
When you figure that out, you need to come up with some important questions which will narrow down your search. Instead of going through hundreds of pages, you will need to only need to through 5 to 10 pages because your search is straight to the point and concise.
Have a clear picture of the search engines you will use and your subject directories
The Internet as pointed out above is a place where there is so much information available for a person to use. There are so many subject directories that have linked picked by gurus in a particular subject. Some of the best and highly recommended directories are Academic info and INFOMINE. Plenty of university and college tutor recommend these two to student because they contain everything a student needs to get their academic essay done.
They are undoubtedly a very good place to begin your research and search engines that need to be considered for research include Bing, Yahoo, MSN, and Google. While they all look different on the surface, they all do the exact same thing in terms of bringing a student the best results possible for their search.
A student has to learn about all these search engines mentioned above and pick the one they are comfortable using to avoid wasting time and frustration. For those students who are looking for professional research paper services online, specialized directories and search engines, Beaucoup is a very good option. Beaucoup has over 2500 directories and search engines for a student to use for their academic research and if that good enough, Colossus International Directory of Search Engines is a good alternative.
This impressive search engine brings up searches from over 230 countries on a topic a student is researching which is just mind-blowing. It gives access to information that is very diverse instead of it being centered on one particular region like the west for example.
Make a detailed list of useful sites used and visited
When a student is doing research on the internet, they will visit many sites that will provide them with very useful information as well as some that will not provide the information they want. It is useful to keep track of all the websites that are contributing to academic research so that they can be revisited at a later date.
When anything on a particular website makes it to the final draft of a student’s essay, it needs to be referenced correctly. Relying on browser history is not a good idea at all because all web pages you fit are retained. The good and the bad ones are all there for you to see if you rely on the browser history.
If you are using a college or university computer, for example, the history might be deleted which can be frustrating especially if you found some very useful websites with amazing information. You are better off writing them down or bookmarking them so that you can easily revisit them again when you need them.
Verify all the webpages you write down by double checking them
When a website has an address that is very complicated, it is easy for a person to make typos or mistakes when writing it down. Once a student makes a mistake with the website, it makes the reference meaningless or useless. To avoid shooting yourself in the foot, you can type the website address on the location box that is found on your browser and see if you will be taken to the right page.
The internet can be your best friend or your enemy when it comes to your academic research. The key to succeeding when you have many sources at your disposal is to filter your research results to just the ones that add value to your academic research. The 5 tips highlighted in this article will ensure you use the internet effectively for your academic research and not spend minutes or hours on sources that are not important.
