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The web
Finding the right information for your assignment topic may seem daunting at first. The web can be a good starting place.
When you search for information on a topic, the list of results may include Wikipedia or social media sites such as YouTube, blogs, Twitter, and Facebook. Can you use information from Wikipedia or social media websites for academic study?
Take the quiz to find out.
Activity: The web and academic study
How much do you know about using the information on the web for academic study?
1. An article in Wikipedia can be used as a reference in assignments. True or false?
This statement is false. Content can change at any time, so it should not be used as a reference in assignments. It is good to compare information found in Wikipedia to other sources, and cite more reliable sources in your assignments.
2. Wikipedia is good for getting an overview of an assignment topic. True or false?
This statement is true. Wikipedia is a good start, but you must use books and articles and other appropriate sources to do detailed research.
3. Wikipedia can help find resources on a topic. True or false?
This statement is true. Sometimes you can find useful resources in the list of references at the end of a topic.
4. An entry in a blog can be used as a reference. True or false?
This statement could be true. You need to evaluate the blog to make sure the information is credible and relevant to your topic. For example, a blog entry by a respected professional, giving an informed opinion on future trends and forecasts could be a very useful reference. Always check with your lecturer before using any information from the Web.
5. I can use a video on YouTube made by a university lecturer as a reference. True or false?
This statement could be true. Questions to ask include: What are the credentials of the lecturer? Can the information be verified by other sources? Does the information provide a valuable contribution in support of your topic? Also check with your lecturer before using any information from the web.
The web is a rich source of information. Students usually use search engines like Google to find information about an assignment topic, but finding useful resources among many pages of search results can be challenging.
Google and other search engines are easy to search, but they produce a large number of results and many that are not relevant to the topic.
Fortunately, you can conduct a much more efficient search and save yourself lots of time and effort by using a few simple search commands. Try Lifehack's 20 Tips to use Google Search efficiently.
Google is a good place to find background or general information, but you need to be aware of its limitations for academic research.
Why can't I just Google it?
This question is covered in more detail in the next tutorial.
Using Wikipedia for academic research
When you do a Google search about a topic you will most likely find Wikipedia listings at the top of your search results. Take a look at this infographic on Using Wikipedia for academic research to find out more about Wikipedia's benefits and limitations.
Another way to search the web more effectively is to use Google Scholar as your search engine. Google Scholar is a simple way to search for scholarly literature in articles, theses, books, abstracts and other formats.
If you access Google Scholar from the RMIT Library website using your RMIT login, your search results will link you back to the full text resources held by the Library. Go to the Library Google Scholar page for more information.
For more help on using Google Scholar for research go to Google Scholar search tips or find a video on YouTube.
Finding the right information for your assignment topic may seem daunting at first. The web can be a good starting place.
When you search for information on a topic, the list of results may include Wikipedia or social media sites such as YouTube, blogs, Twitter, and Facebook. Can you use information from Wikipedia or social media websites for academic study?
Take the quiz to find out.
Activity: The web and academic study
Answer true or false to the following five statements about the web and academic study.
Statements
- An article in Wikipedia can be used as a reference in assignments. True or false?
- Wikipedia is good for getting an overview of an assignment topic. True or false?
- Wikipedia can help find resources on a topic. True or false?
- An entry in a blog can be used as a reference. True or false?
- I can use a video on YouTube made by a university lecturer as a reference. True or false?
Answers
- This statement is false. Content can change at any time, so it should not be used as a reference in assignments. It is good to compare information found in Wikipedia to other sources, and cite more reliable sources in your assignments.
- This statement is true. Wikipedia is a good start, but you must use books and articles and other appropriate sources to do detailed research.
- This statement is true. Sometimes you can find useful resources in the list of references at the end of a topic.
- This statement could be true. You need to evaluate the blog to make sure the information is credible and relevant to your topic. For example, a blog entry by a respected professional, giving an informed opinion on future trends and forecasts could be a very useful reference. Always check with your lecturer before using any information from the web.
- This statement could be true. Questions to ask include: What are the credentials of the lecturer? Can the information be verified by other sources? Does the information provide a valuable contribution in support of your topic? Also check with your lecturer before using any information from the web.
Google and other search engines
The web is a rich source of information. Students usually use search engines like Google to find information about an assignment topic, but finding useful resources among many pages of search results can be challenging.
Google and other search engines are easy to search, but they produce a large number of results and many that are not relevant to the topic.
Fortunately, you can conduct a much more efficient search and save yourself lots of time and effort by using a few simple search commands. Try Lifehack's 20 Tips to use Google Search efficiently.
Google is a good place to find background or general information, but you need to be aware of its limitations for academic research.
Why can't I just Google it?
Watch this short video explaining the advantages and disadvantages of Google.Using Wikipedia for academic research
When you do a Google search about a topic you will most likely find Wikipedia listings at the top of your search results. Take a look at this infographic on Using Wikipedia for academic research to find out more about Wikipedia's benefits and limitations.
Google Scholar
Another way to search the web more effectively is to use Google Scholar as your search engine. Google Scholar is a simple way to search for scholarly literature in articles, theses, books, abstracts and other formats.
If you access Google Scholar from the RMIT Library website using your RMIT login, your search results will link you back to the full text resources held by the Library. Go to the Library Google Scholar page for more information.
For more help on using Google Scholar for research go to Google Scholar search tips or find a video on YouTube.