Academic Research and the Internet: What Are the Benefits and Downsides?
Now it is hard to imagine a life without the Internet. The official birthday of the web is considered to be on January 1, 1983. Since then, it has developed rapidly and has quickly become an important part of our daily life.
Everyone should agree that now the Internet has already simplified and improved all areas of our lives, including the field of education. According to ResearchGate, 94% of students use the web, and only 6% don’t. What’s more, the majority of them (59.33%) confirm using the web both for personal and academic purposes.
With the help of the Internet, college students can access online education, delegate their assignments to a professional paper writing service and have experts , and, of course, do research. Clearly, the web offers a wide range of benefits when used in academic research. At the same time, there are still some challenges associated with it. Read on to discover all the perks and issues of using the Internet for academic research.
4 Pros of Using the Internet for Academic Research
Without any doubt, the development of the Internet has many positive effects on academic research. Namely, below are listed the primary advantages that are already seen.
1. Convenience
First of all, conducting academic research online is incredibly convenient. You can do it right from the comfort of your own home, your favorite coffee shop, or your dorm room, as well as on the go. You don’t have to travel anywhere specific (for example, to a library) on purpose to do this. Basically, whenever you need to research any information, you have all the tools you need to do it.
2. Speed
The second huge benefit is the speed of search. In the past, when students had to go to a library to conduct research, this process could take hours on end until they found the information they were looking for and then some more to copy the information. The Internet, on the contrary, provides information that matches your specific request in a matter of seconds, no matter how complex this request is. And all you have to do is to copy-paste it.
Whether you are searching for writing services reviews to hire an or a rare edition of a specific book, with the web, you will find it without a hassle. And it also allows you to switch between dozens of resources quickly and easily.
3. Variety of Resources and Tools
The web unlocks access to a huge variety of resources. From casual blogs to full-fledged academic libraries—everything can be found here. The Internet also offers students a wealth of other handy tools. For example, there are note-taking apps that will let you organize your research findings appropriately. Also, there are citation-generation websites that will help you cite all your sources in just a couple of clicks. And, if you want to delegate your tasks, there are trusted online essay writing services that can and lend you a helping hand. Such a variety of resources and tools allows students to do literally anything on the web.
4. Communication and Collaboration
Finally, it is worth noting that the Internet has significantly simplified communication. With its help, students can stay in touch with their teachers and classmates, collaborate on group projects, and conduct research together without being physically close to each other. This is also a huge advantage in terms of academic research.
The Challenges the Internet Holds in Terms of Academic Research
Although the benefits are huge, there are still some downsides to using the web for academic research. Let’s quickly overview the primary challenges that are still there.
1. Accuracy
First and foremost, the Internet poses issues with the accuracy of information. Although it generally offers a wealth of information on all topics, a huge part of this information isn’t valid. Since anyone can post anything on the web, there are many pieces of info that aren’t worth trusting. Thus, when using the Internet for academic research, students have to critically assess all information they come across and be very careful with the sources they use in their papers.
2. Plagiarism
Another issue that appeared because of the web is plagiarism. Now, uniqueness is one of the primary requirements in academic essay writing. However, even if you write all your papers yourself, there is always a chance to have a small percentage of plagiarism just because there is already plenty of information on the same topic on the web.
3. Privacy and Security
Unfortunately, the Internet isn’t a safe place. Moreover, the more it develops, the more unsafe it gets. Students have to keep in mind that whenever they get on the Internet to conduct research, complete their tasks, communicate, or use the or other tools, there are always some threats to their privacy and confidentiality.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, although the Internet has generally made academic research faster, easier, and much more convenient, there are still some challenges associated with it. The web isn’t always safe and helpful. However, this doesn’t really mean that you shouldn’t use it for research purposes.
On the contrary, we believe that students of all ages should leverage the web for academic purposes. However, they have to be careful with it. To overcome the aforementioned challenges, students have to learn how to research and analyze the information from the web effectively and how to stay safe online. Once they learn this, the web will give them unlimited academic opportunities and help them succeed!
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