“Since everything is on the internet, I don’t need books…..right?”
The internet can be a reliable source for information, but it depends on what kind of information and the time dedication you put to find that information. When you are looking something quick and easy on information on “vital signs” you are going to get quick answers. You will get the basic information on the vital signs, like blood pressure, temperature, pulse, and respiratory rate. This type of question is one that you don’t really need to look up in a book because of the time. Sometimes you just don’t have the time to look things up in a book and people go to the internet because it is just easier.
When you are given a complex topic to do research the internet is not the only source there is. You are going to have to do more research that may include going to the library and look at a book. Books have much more reliable information because it is credited, since in the internet people have easy access to post basically anything they want.
Looking at the type of website can help you know if the information is correct, but sometimes you have to analyze the website even closer because you can be fooled with the information that is posted.
In order to be successful while doing research in the internet you need to need to break important key words to be searched in the internet. You may also want to reference to books because books have useful information as well and if the research depends on your grade you should make sure you put effort in it by researching the topic carefully.
Good post, Ana! I can tell that you’ve been paying attention in class and you’ve been piecing together what you’ve learned and applying this knowledge to your studies in Pre-Collegiate. It’s very helpful to know the strengths and weaknesses of the Internet and having a clear idea of when to use the Internet and when to use books or other resources. The good news is—you won’t always be limited to the library as a physical place if you need to look at books because of their changing formats (i.e. print, microfiche, audio, electronic, downloadable, etc). I personally find libraries very convenient in that I can usually get everything done in the library—if I need to research books, they’re right there. If I need to look up some things on the Internet, that’s there, too. And if I can’t find what I need or can’t figure out how to break my research topic into manageable bits that are researchable, the librarians are there, too. But for those times when I can’t get to the library, it’s good to have some electronic options for finding the information that I need whether that’s the mobile library website, subject databases, an eBook, or a virtual chat session with a librarian.
ReplyDeleteTina M. Moser, MLIS
Health Sciences Library
University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus