The Internet is an stunning tool for research. The days are gone when you were forced to run to your local library to uncover the average salary for steel workers in the 1990s. You no longer need to flip through encyclopedias to uncover the forgotten inventions of Leonardo da Vinci. But the Internet can also be a treacherous place for researchers. The online world is filled, unfortunately, with documents, research and statistics that are erroneous. Believing this inaccurate data can ruin your research efforts. The Web site Lifehacker, though, recently presented several tips for bettering your online research.
Is that a bias?
No one is free of bias. We all have our own strong beliefs. These views, though, can skew our online research. Because of this, Lifehacker recommends that researchers first acknowledge their own biases before performing online research. For example, if you believe that life starts at conception, you may not be willing to acknowledge studies or opinion pieces taking the opposite side. This can ruin your online research before you even start. Be sure, then, to take what Lifehacker calls your confirmation bias into account before you begin scanning the Internet for your research.
Quality of information
The most common trap for online researchers, though, is bad data. The Internet is stuffed with a lot of improperly cited articles and half-baked research, says Lifehacker. Relying on these articles for your research can provide you with extremely inaccurate information. Make sure you rely on articles from highly regarded sources, whether that be medical journals, government studies or college reports.
Specialized online research
To discover the latest and most comprehensive studies on your subject, you’ll want to expand your search past the usual suspects of Google, Bing and Yahoo! Instead, use customized scholarly searches that can yield more detailed information. Google Scholar and Scirus are powerful tools for academic research. So is PLOS, run by the Public Library of Science, and the United States Library of Congress.