Patrick Junge
Dr. Ochola
Eng-101 B 65
MWA-1 Final Copy
21 Sept 14
Using the Internet for Research Can Be Easy
From the time I was in middle school until the late 90’s, I used print resources for researching because they were the only means available. I had to use the Public Library as my main source of obtaining research. Although still useful, I have noticed libraries have a tendency to have out of date material, or pending on the size, no material at all. Some items may be already checked out and are unavailable making researching more taxing. With the internet and personal computers becoming commercially available, I have changed my researching style. Using the internet, I have everything at my fingertips making researching a much more efficient task. There are some drawbacks to using the internet for researching, but it can be limited to a manageable level. I also have some favorite sites I use to obtain researching possibilities. Although with some pitfalls, I believe the internet has become the best available avenue for research and can be accomplished easily.
Although there are many different ways to conduct research, I prefer to start large and work my way small. By doing this, I have noticed I produce a more well-rounded product. I start by finding as many resources as I can possibly handle and scan through them one by one. After gathering information and checking my sources, I have a bigger picture of what I am looking for. I then take the ten or so best options and pick pieces of information from them or narrow down my choices even further. If I need more information, I continue my researching until I find enough information to continue. After I finish my second screening of articles, I place them in order of necessity in an outline to make my first draft of writing flow better. I finish by citing all the sources I used so it won’t be misconstrued as plagiarism. By finding enough reliable sources and citing them correctly, I have noticed my papers become more efficient over the years. Along the way of gathering resources, I am normally bombarded with flashy ads and annoying pop ups, my e-mail and other social media apps are notifying me in the background with their siren song of distraction. These distractions can be minimized to a more manageable level. I have used a few tips offered to me by friends over the years to limit or completely eliminate distractions while researching. By turning off my phone, I get no little beeps, whistles, or bells to try to drag me away from my immediate goal of researching. I keep my social media away or off completely. The constant notifications are a complete efficiency killer. I tend to ignore the distracting banner ads that are tied to pages while searching. I don’t care about some miracle weight loss pill or a grandmother finding a natural wrinkle fighting cream. These ads will not help me accomplish my goal of researching, therefore I don’t need
