The Internet according to Oxford English Mini Dictionary defined Is a huge global computer network. In my own opinion, the internet can be defined as a place where you go to search for information of any type depending on what you are looking for.

Furthermore the internet has great potentials and much information to offer; however, the internet like every other living, or nonliving thing, has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Research in the point of view of the Oxford English Mini Dictionary is ‘the study of materials and sources to discover facts’ [2] . I will say that research can be defined as a comprehensive source. So in this essay we will discuss about available information on the internet, convenient, it saves time, virus threat, what to look for why we are researching, and conclusion.

ADVANTAGE FOR RESEACH PURPOSE

A LOT OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE

Looking at the internet for research, we will discover that it has done more than enough for the human race; it has made life easier for a lot of students and many others who have one thing or the other to do with the internet. Also on it you will find some of, if not all the information you need on a particular subject or on anything that you are looking for. When you go to the internet you will find all kinds of information on it, internet is a treasure on its own.

IT IS CONVENIENT

Talking about it being convenient, we say that the internet has made life easier, even more than what humanity can imagine, you can work at anywhere, at any time, whenever you fill like it, and everything you need is at your finger tip. Even some time, your mind will be at rest because you know that you have all it take to do what you want with you, and when you start you know that you will do your work in a appropriate way.

IT SAVES TIME

With the internet in front of you, you will do all what you have to do within a short period, if you have so many assignments to do; you can do them because you have what you need in your front. When you have the website with you it makes your work be easier. You can get whatever you need in a short period; you don’t have to go to the library looking for books. You can get those books and read them to get your information on the internet. You will just type in the website and it will bring out what you want and you will get your information quickly.

DISADVANTAGE FOR RESEACH PURPOSE

Looking for resources from the internet sometimes, is not encouraging because if you are not clever enough, you may get lost without you knowing it. Your work will be full of unmeaning things that have nothing to do with what you are writing about.

There are so many materials from the internet that look alright but when reading it, you find out that they are not from a reliable sources, sometimes they are just one man or someone’s idea and that is not okay for research purpose. We have so many people that fill the internet with their own opinions; anybody can write anything as long as it makes sense to them, no one can challenge them, so they just write what they think is okay in their own eyes. Without you knowing it, you will get lost trying to reframe the whole idea to fit in into you own work.

Secondly, we have some authors from the internet that are unknown and their works are not that okay for research. Some are scholarly but their work ‘authority cannot be verified’ [3] 

Sometime on the internet we have references that are not correct, on it we have ideas they are not okay for research or that the author did not do their own home work very well, so if as a student if you get caught up with this your work will not be accepted.

Some of the things that are on the website are not academically good for students because some of it is not from the original writers. Some reproduced their source from printed material, and they will not have it put in correctly and this always cause a lot of problem for student.

Thirdly on the internet if you are not careful you will spend all your time there, because you have to search for some Universities, scholarly and authoritative sources that support the work of the author you want to work with. Also you have to look for websites to know when last they have been updated last and all these will take your time if you are not careful.

The problem with it sometimes is that you have to read properly if not, you will copy wrong information for your work. Check the background of the authors to know if they are reputable scholars. You have to know if what you are using is ‘a book, magazine or a journal’ [4] and also check for footnotes and the bibliography to know if they have researched properly.

WHAT WE SHOULD LOOK FOR

The author should have a source, where they come from, something about the title of the page, if the writer is the main author or they have a place where they get their idea from or if they get it from a book. You have to find out the date of which you copy your work, get the original book if you can, find out about the web address and let it be in the correct form.

Sometimes when writing an essay or you are doing research you may come across other author in the book you are using, you have to find the other book that the author you are using is quoting from because the author of the book is saying something about it, find that book so that you can quote directly from it.

If you are using resources on line make sure that you have the correct first footnote, which is your main sources, second footnote if you have any which is the other author that writes something in the book you are using and bibliography.

We need to check the sources of the site, if they are academically good for a student, maybe they have any university supports and if they have any scholars that are using their web site.

Usage of web site for research, as a well organised student you have to look for permission or ask your teacher to check with you if you a using it for your assignment.

VIRUS THREAT

The problem that a lot of people are facing is the viruses, for it has destroyed lots of systems and caused a lot headaches for so many people, for a virus is a programme which is destroying the normal functions of the computer system. Also if the computer system is attached to the internet it is likely for that system to get a virus. So all this can destroy your whole hard disk and leave you with problems.

CONCLUSION

So I will say using the internet for research is okay, it has lots of information, depending what you are looking for. However, it is you who will decide if what you have is for your advantage or disadvantage. So read and read so that you can be on safer side when writing because if you are not it may cost you your hard labour and your mark.