Internet research is the practice of using the Internet, especially the World Wide Web, for research. To the extent that the Internet is widely and readily accessible to hundreds of millions of people in many parts of the world, it can provide practically instant information on most topics, and is having a profound impact on the way in which ideas are formed and knowledge is created. The World Wide Web and WWW redirect here. ... This article is about the concept. ... For other uses, see World (disambiguation). ... The ASCII codes for the word Wikipedia represented in binary, the numeral system most commonly used for encoding computer information. ... IDEA may refer to: Electronic Directory of the European Institutions IDEA League Improvement and Development Agency Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Indian Distance Education Association Integrated Data Environments Australia Intelligent Database Environment for Advanced Applications IntelliJ IDEA - a Java IDE Interactive Database for Energy-efficient Architecture International IDEA (International Institute... For other uses, see Knowledge (disambiguation). ...

Research is a broad term. Here, it is used to mean "looking something up (on the Web)". It includes any activity where a topic is identified, and an effort is made to actively gather information for the purpose of furthering understanding. Common applications of Internet research include personal research on a particular subject (something mentioned on the news, a health problem, etc), students doing research for academic projects and papers, and journalists and other writers researching stories. It should be distinguished from scientific research - research following a defined and rigorous process - carried out on the Internet; from straightforward finding of specific info, like locating a name or phone number; and from research about the Internet. Look up understanding in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Student (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Journalist (disambiguation). ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... A scientific method or process is considered fundamental to the scientific investigation and acquisition of new knowledge based upon physical evidence. ...

Compared to the Internet, print physically limits access to information. A book has to be identified, then actually obtained. On the Net, the Web can be searched, and typically hundreds or thousands of pages can be found with some relation to the topic, within seconds. In addition, email (including mailing lists), online discussion forums (aka message boards, BBS's), and other personal communication facilities (instant messaging, IRC, newsgroups, etc) can provide direct access to experts and other individuals with relevant interests and knowledge. However, difficulties persist in verifying a writer's credentials, and therefore the accuracy or pertinence of the information obtained -- see also the article Criticism of Wikipedia and its section Difficulty of fact-checking. A screenshot of a web page. ... E-mail, or email, is short for electronic mail and is a method of composing, sending, and receiving messages over electronic communication systems. ... A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. ... Forum, originally a Latin word, currently refers in English to a place or a space for meeting or for trading. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Ward Christensen and the computer that ran the first public Bulletin Board Systems, CBBS A Bulletin board system, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to dial into the system over a phone line (or Telnet) and, using a terminal program, perform functions such as downloading... // Instant messaging (IM) is a form of real-time communication between two or more people based on typed text. ... This article is about Internet Relay Chat. ... A newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users at different locations. ... Look up expert in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Webcomic Penny Arcade satirizes Wikipedia users ability to vandalize its articles: supervillain Skeletor makes biased revisions to his archnemesis He-Mans entry. ... Webcomic Penny Arcade satirizes Wikipedia users ability to vandalize its articles: supervillain Skeletor makes biased revisions to his archnemesis He-Mans entry. ...

It should be noted that thousands of books and other print publications have been made available online that would be extremely difficult to locate otherwise, including out-of-print books, and classic literature and textbooks that would be much less accessible in their printed form. An out-of-print item (Music, Movies, but mostly Books) that is no longer being published. ... In the traditional sense of the term, a classic book is one written in ancient Greece or ancient Rome (see classics). ... Three textbooks. ...

Ethics

Internet research ethics is becoming more important now that Institutional Research Boards (IRBs) are having to approve research in Universities. Internet research ethics involves the research ethics of Internet research, with an emphasis on scientific research carried out via the Internet. ...

Broadly speaking, there are the following ethical approaches: Ethics is a general term for what is often described as the science (study) of morality. In philosophy, ethical behavior is that which is good or right. ...

• Consequentialist (or utilitarian) ethics.
• Deontological ethics.
• Ethics of care.
• Virtue ethics.
• Open source ethics.

See also

Internet Portal

• FUTON bias
• Internet as a source of prior art
• Source evaluation
• Reliable sources

Image File history File links Portal. ... FUTON bias stands for Full Text On the Net bias and refers to the failure in academic research, when researchers tend to search and read what is available online, and ignore relevant studies that are available offline in printed format only. ... Graphic representation of less than 0. ... Source evaluation is the skill of analysing information sources in order to assess their credibility. ...

References

External links

• The Association of Internet Researchers
• Intute: the best of the Web for education and research
• Intute: Virtual Training Suite
• Internet Detective: Wise up to the Web
• Internet Research FAQ
• Advantages/Disadvantages of doing internet research
• The Cybersleuth's Guide to the Internet: Conducting Effective Investigative & Legal Research on the Web
• The Lawyer's Guide to Fact Finding on the Internet