Reasearch Paper

I. The Internet’s Research Ability

Purpose Statement:

By using the Internet, it effectively and efficiently solves daily problems. It allows individuals to research anything on the Internet.

Statement of Problem:

While the internet can solve many problems, some answers may be false or irreverent.

Significance of the Paper:

The research will allow others to understand how we can use the internet for many things. Understanding that some answers may come from credible sources, some from experience that people went through, some from basic opinions, and some false statements or answers.

II. Main Topic

The Internet has become a superior form of communication and research in this very day and age. With all the information that it holds, it is very easy to state that the Internet has much relevance when it comes to the provision of information that people might require. It is also very important to note that even though the Internet contains a lot of information, some may be reliable while some might not be reliable from the content provided. There are manners in which one might understand whether sources are credible or not when it comes to performing research on the Internet (Duboff & Spaeth, 2000).

1. Credible Research Sources on the Internet

The information available on the Internet is not regulated by any board as in the case of newspapers or broadcasting networks. However, the information contained in this platform cannot be compared to other platforms because it is usually more than enough for the convenience of the researcher. Information from credible sources always has the author listed in the article. The credentials of that particular author also match what the article(s) talks about. If there is no author listed, then there must be a website leading to the details about the author.

Credible sources also have their purpose mentioned. If it is for scholarly reasons, then this purpose has to match the information and the credentials. Some entertainment sites are run on purely gossip. However, they also require stating this on their page in order not to misguide its researchers. The objectivity is also very important in these sources of information. There exist pseudoscience’s that are termed as sciences just from wide acceptance by the public. Credible research sources make sure that they mention exactly where the information comes from.

One can know that a source is credible by looking at how often information is updated. Information changes fast and thus requires to be updated from time to time. It is very important that credible sites do these updates regularly. Also, if researching upon a specific topic, it is important to work with more than one site. Comparison from different sites helps to understand whether the information is valid or not. If the information differs a lot from other sites, then it cannot be relied upon (Gregg, Michael., & Kim, 2005).

2. False Information Sites

There does exist information on the Internet that is absolutely not true in different sites. These sites are hard to tell if one is not careful enough to understand which sources are credible and which sources are not. There are sites that hold information that has no author or credentials or links that might assist the researcher to trace back to where the information has been gotten on. These sites only show information from unknown sources and unknown authors. It is very important to keep away from such sites because they might hold information that might be inaccurate (Postill, 2010).

There are also those pages that show pop-up ads whenever a researcher clicks on them and takes one to links that the researcher had not asked for. These sites may contain mischievous behaviour in the information they hold. They may have false answers to questions being researched. Everyone using the internet has at one point or another experienced a site that contains totally irrelevant topics from the ones one was looking for. These sites may also contain false information.

III. Conclusion

The Internet will always be the biggest search engine of the present times. This will be the case until a greater invention is made. The information it holds assists in research in tremendous manners. The right type of information means great research which may be helpful in one way or another. The power of the Internet continues to fathom the world in how much things got easier by its invention (McNab & Chris, 2016).

However, the Internet does not regulate the information shared on the platform. This means that a researcher might find all types of information on the Internet while doing research. This is why I first recommend the use of credible research sources. Credible research sources are easy to use and recommended. These sources usually have the authors name or a link connecting to the other. Also, these links usually show the exact sources of the information provided.

I also do not recommend the use of false information sites. Some websites have been misleading researchers by providing them with information that is not valid. If there is no author mentioned or a link provided, it is better if the researcher does not use that as a source. If the information provided is irrelevant to what the researcher is looking for, then it also is a great idea not to use that source. All sites should be able to mention their exact intentions. If they do not, especially in the case of scholarly articles, it is better is the author does not use them (Perry, 2008).

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