Research is the process by which people conduct inquiry, by which they systematically collect
information for contribution to a greater, established body of knowledge. This research takes
many images. One such image is of the lonely individual making countless trips to the library
carefully piecing together snippits of data into a pattern of discovery. Another image is
of an individual carefully monitoring an experimental and control group to illicit significant
differences in behaviors of the two groups. Research on the Internet conjures up still other
images. Groups of students collaborate in collecting data from their respective neighborhoods across
three continents.
If an activity is to be considered research it will conform to the methods of research that have
been accepted and the information gathered is generally shared with the appropriate audiences.
The Internet can and does play a role in both aspects of research. Students should be given an
opportunity to experience both of these aspects of research.
The Internet parallels the library in the searching for relevant information. Search Engines
abound to help you locate HTML pages. Similarly, the card catalog or the on-line searching
capabilities of a library collection allow you to quickly find the titles you are seeking.
In both media, the researcher has to decide which sources deserve credibility and which are
false. Additionally, the Internet offers opportunities to "chat" with authorities, email
experts, and participate in appropriate newsgroups. Sometimes there will be a struggle to
transfer the traditional data gathering strategies to an electronic age. Students must have
the opportunity to experience these new methods and gain skill and confidence in this new
arena.
The second part of research addresses the presentation of the findings. The traditional
methods of scholarly journals have been in effect for decades. What changes if the journal
is distributed electronically? Will the manuscript revision process be continued after a rigorous
review? Can you trust an electronic reporting agency that has been in existence for less than a
year? The ease of publishing ones ideas makes it more difficult to screen "good" information
from bad. Free server space is available from many sources. Publications of scholarly work
sit beside publications filled with errors of grammar and thought. It behooves schools to
guide young minds in separating the two.
