Guidelines to Conduct Effective Academic Research Using the Internet

academic research

The creation of the internet is a blessing to humankind. It provides us access to all kinds of things worldwide with just a click. Nowadays, more students are also using the Internet to research for their academic assignments. However, academic research carried out online differs significantly from research conducted in traditional libraries, and these variations might lead to problems for students. Don’t worry! In this blog of All Assignment Help, we will teach you how you can conduct academic research using the internet for your academic writing projects in an efficient manner.

What Does the Term Academic Research Mean?

Academic research is research done by students in their academic life using reliable academic research websites. The main distinction between academic research and other types of professional research is that students in academic research seek long-term solutions to conceptual problems. The main purpose of doing scholarly research is to let the learners gain theoretical knowledge of their findings.

Academic research helps the students to become well-versed in their course topics. It also allows them to develop their ideas and thoughts. Preparing a research paper and proposal is a must if you are an engineering or medical student. However, there are some easy-to-follow internet research techniques for students. Still, many students fail to follow it properly. Instead of wasting your time, you could obtain research proposal help if you are unsure how to do research.

Read Here: Academic Research: Its Importance & Ways to Conduct

Which Methodologies Are Used in Academic Research?

Academic research can be conducted using several types of study methodologies. These include the following:

  • Quantitative research: In this research, hypotheses are tested using numerical data.
  • Qualitative research: This type of research is predicated on analyzing behavior to comprehend human behavior.
  • Empirical research: This is based on experiments, interviews, and observations.
  • Historical research: The research involved uses historical records to gain insight into the past.
  • Documentary research: This research involved searches for relevant data in databases, libraries, archives, and specialized collections.
  • Experimental research: This research uses tests and experiments to understand events.
  • Conceptual research: This type of research makes use of theories and concepts to understand phenomena.

Your choice of research methodology is influenced by the resources available and the goal of the study. Sometimes, it might get difficult to select to right methodology for your academic research which can hamper the credibility of your assignment. In such a situation, you might look for help with assignment from an academic writer. You can get help from the Internet and hire a reliable assignment writer to get a well-researched assignment.

Why Is Academic Research Important for Students?

A master’s or doctoral degree cannot be earned without performing academic research. Professors often encourage their students to research so they can explore all kinds of topics instead of just studying for a standard course. Below listed why academic research using the internet is important for students:

It completes the students’ learning

The majority of students who regularly conduct academic research claim that it aids in their learning and knowledge expansion. Additionally, it increases their memory and helps them grasp and solve problems. By conducting the study, you can find an entirely new method of learning that will improve your way of thinking. Moreover, you have no trouble comprehending the course material, which improves your grade.

It benefits the world

Research for the development of the country and the introduction of new technologies all depend on research. If scientists had not done the research, then there would be no inventions in the world. You must now be thinking, if I am not a scientist, then why should I do research? You are a student, and doing small academic research will lead you to new information that will help you benefit yourself and the people around you. 

Keeps you updated

Conducting academic research can only be possible if your sources are true and confidential. For this, you are required to test and verify different academic materials from multiple sources. Regular research of academic materials will help you stay updated and know the advancements in various fields. For instance, conducting nursing research will help a nursing student keep up with all the latest medical advancements.

Academic research is equally important for students studying online. However, it is not easy to conduct research using the Internet for students as they are already occupied with their online classes most of the time in a day. In such a situation, getting help from online class help websites could help you. All you need is to visit their website and type, can you take my class for me? This support allows you to focus on submitting well-researched and high-quality work required by your online class professor.

Steps to Do Effective Academic Research Using the Internet

The Internet is one of the main sources you might use to compile the information for your assignment, compared to other sources. It is quite acceptable if you are unsure of the effective online research methods for your academic assignments to provide the best outcomes for your work.

Hence, let’s look at the steps that will enable you to conduct detailed research for your academic writing task:

Understand the Requirements

The Internet is the main source of information for students. You can access a vast amount of information at a single time. However, it can be confusing to select the right reliable academic research websites for multiple datasets. This situation can be changed if you give yourself the proper time to understand the requirements of the assignment. You should read all the questions carefully and should start the research keeping the questions’ requirements in mind. Doing research with an empty mind will lead you nowhere. Hence, make a note of what you actually want to research on the internet.

Use Scholarly Search Engines

Standard search engines such as Google and Bing are not very useful for conducting true web-based research. Academic research requires the use of specialized search engines. One such engine is Google Scholar. However, there are also others. The key takeaway is that you should always use academic search engines to locate truly helpful information. Normal blog posts and other online content usually don’t provide excessive detail about a topic, so they are rarely used as proof. On the other hand, academic search engines will always lead you to content that supports all of its arguments with proof.

Take Note of the Websites You Visit

Visiting multiple websites will help you to select the most suitable information for your academic research. In this process, you may visit some useful sites and some that are scams or irrelevant to your requirements. You may have to visit the useful sites again for some reason. This process can continue for the longest time. If you want to save time, then it is recommended that you make sure to write the URLs in a Word file or bookmark the useful sites to avoid the risk of losing access to them.

Try Multiple Sources for Academic Research

The Internet is the main source of academic research, but it is not the only one. Sources such as library books, library catalogs, newspapers, databases, government documentation, encyclopedias, textbooks, news magazines, journals, etc. could prove very helpful for you as well. Apart from all of these, there are some important search phrases that every student must know. We have compiled a list of the same. Make sure to have a look below.

  • Microsoft Academic
  • Google Books
  • Internet Ancient History Sourcebook
  • Sceince.gov
  • JSTOR
  • Google Scholar
  • Bioline International
  • BASE
  • Wolfram Alpha
  • WorldWidescience
  • National Bureau of Economic Research
  • Library of Congress
  • Behavioral Brain Science Archive
  • WorldCat
  • Refseek
  • PubMed Central
  • Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)
  • iSeek
  • Digital Commons Network
  • ResearchGate
  • Zentralblatt MATH’s online database 
  • Virtual Learning Resources Center (VLRC)
  • Infotopia
  • David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
  • Lexis Web

Verify Your Academic Research Material

Numerous sources and search engines offer a wealth of academic study materials. However, that does not imply that all of the data on the internet is reliable and accurate. Make certain you thoroughly verify it before incorporating it into your work. Check the source dates; include them only if they are of the most recent date.  Sources from five years ago can be outdated. Don’t forget to look into the reputation of the publisher in addition to all of this. You may include it if it was released by a trustworthy publisher or a university. If not, it would be advised to skip it.

Make Sure the URL Reference Lists Are Accurate

You might make mistakes while writing URLs (internet addresses) in the coursework. It could lead to the reference becoming useless. So, it would be wise if you typed them in the location box of your browser and copied and pasted them on the reference list. Always double-check whether all your URLs are working or not.

Doing academic research using the internet is not an easy job. However, if you carefully follow all of the preceding steps, you will be able to conduct good research as needed. These all are internet research techniques for students. Still, if you feel that there is some error in your research material, then you can avail yourself of an academic research paper writing service. Getting assistance from professional experts will allow you to submit accurate and error-free work.

Also Read: How to Identify Your Research Problems?

Ethical Aspects of Online Academic Research

Maintaining ethical standards is a responsibility that comes with using internet-based resources for scholarly research. The following are important ethical considerations to remember when performing academic research using the Internet:

Preventing Plagiarism and Ensuring Correct Citation

Giving full credit to the original authors is one of the most important components of ethical research in academia. Failing to do so is against academic honesty and affects the credibility of your work. You can use citation management software for correct reference tracking and formatting. On the other hand, you can make sure your work is free of intentional plagiarism by using online plagiarism detection tools.

Managing Confidentiality and Privacy

Maintaining confidentiality and privacy is crucial while doing research with online forums, surveys, or databases. Anonymize personal information gathered from online interactions or surveys to safeguard participants’ identities. Use only publicly accessible datasets unless you are specifically granted access to restricted resources.

Upholding the Rights of Intellectual Property

Many scholarly materials, especially journal articles, are protected by copyright regulations. Violations of the law and ethical standards might arise from accessing or utilizing such materials without the required authority. You can use reputable academic sites to find research articles, such as IEEE Xplore, PubMed, or Google Scholar. Also, if possible, seek out open-access journals and materials.

Avoiding Bias and False Statements

Research conducted on the Internet often involves analyzing data from multiple sources. Maintaining the integrity of your study depends on making sure your conclusions are objective and truthfully conveyed. Thus, verify claims by cross-referencing data from several sources. Also, don’t ignore contradicting evidence in favor of selectively highlighting data that confirms your theory.

You need to research to write an accurate assignment. However, if you are unable to conduct the right research for your academic writing task, you can get academic writing services from our experts. They will offer you authentic and well-researched academic writing work gathered from reliable academic research websites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: What are the various kinds of research?
Answer 1: The types of research are fundamental research, empirical research, cross-sectional research, quantitative research, qualitative research, analytical research, descriptive research, and classification research.
Question 2: What is research in simple words?
Answer 2: To examine or explore certain data or information in order to generate useful knowledge is called research.