Internet research

In its widest sense, Internet research comprises any kind of research done on the Internet or the World Wide Web.^[1] Unlike simple fact-checking or web scraping, it often involves synthesizing from diverse sources and verifying the credibility of each.^[2] In a stricter sense, "Internet research" refers to conducting scientific research using online tools and techniques; the discipline that studies Internet research thus understood is known as online research methods or Internet-mediated research. As with other kinds of scientific research,^[3] it involves an ethical dimension.^[4] Internet research can also be interpreted as the part of Internet studies that investigates the social, ethical, economic, managerial and political implications of the Internet.^[5]

Characterization

Internet research has had a profound impact on the way ideas are formed and knowledge is created.^[6] Through web search, pages with some relation to a given search entry can be visited, analyzed, and compiled. In addition, the Web can be used to connect with relevant sources of primary data (e.g., experts) and conduct online interviews. Communication tools used for this purpose on the Web include email (including mailing lists), online discussion groups (including message boards and BBSes), and other personal communication facilities (instant messaging, IRC, newsgroups, etc.).

Issues

Internet research can provide quick, immediate, and worldwide access to information, although results may be affected by unrecognized bias, difficulties in verifying a writer's credentials (and therefore the accuracy or pertinence of the information obtained), and whether the researcher has sufficient skill to draw meaningful results from the abundance of material that is typically available.^[7] The first resources that are retrieved may not be the most suitable resources to answer a particular question. Popularity is often a factor used in structuring Internet search results, but popular information is not always the most correct or representative of the breadth of knowledge and opinion on a given topic.

Related activities

Internet research is distinct from library research, in that libraries provide access to institutional publications, which are ideally more reliable; as the review and selection process gets transferred online, the line between the two is getting blurred.^[8] The expression "Internet research" resembles "scientific research" because of the word "research", but they denote different types of activity; the first refers to online information gathering, whereas the second usually implies empirical experiments.^[9] It is also distinct from Internet search, which includes looking up specific facts online driven by other needs than research. Internet research is also distinct from market research, as the latter is done mainly for profitability.

Related fields

One distinction could be made between Internet studies and Internet research, in that the former is the study of the distinctive sorts of human interaction done on the Internet,^[10] whereas Internet research could study other aspects than behavior: technology, outcomes, etc.

Library and information science studies information, especially how it is managed and deployed. Its object is related, but not identity to Internet research, whose object of study is an activity.

Human–computer interaction is the study of the design and the use of computer technology, with a focus on the interfaces between people humans and computers.

Search tools

Search tools for finding information on the Internet include web search engines, the search engines on individual websites, the browsers' hotkey-activated feature for searching in the current page, meta search engines, web directories, and specialty search services.

Web search

A Web search allows a user to enter a search query, in the form of keywords or a phrase, into either a search box or on a search form, and then finds matching results and displays them on the screen. The results are accessed from a database, using search algorithms that select web pages based on the location and frequency of keywords on them, along with the quality and number of external hyperlinks pointing at them. The database is supplied with data from a web crawler that follows the hyperlinks that connect web pages, and copies their content, records their URLs, and other data about the page along the way. The content is then indexed, to aid retrieval.

To view this information, a user enters their search query, in the form of keywords or a phrase, into a search box or search form. Then, the search engine uses its algorithms to query a database, selecting

Websites' search feature

Websites often have a search engine of their own, for searching just the site's content, often displayed at the top of every page. For example, Wikipedia provides a search engine for exploring its content. A search engine within a website allows a user to focus on its content and find desired information with more precision than with a web search engine. It may also provide access to information on the website for which a web search engine does not.

Specialty search tools

Specialty search tools enable users to find information that conventional search engines and meta search engines cannot access because the content is stored in databases. In fact, the vast majority of information on the web is stored in databases that require users to go to a specific site and access it through a search form. Often, the content is generated dynamically. As a consequence, Web crawlers are unable to index this information. In a sense, this content is "hidden" from search engines, leading to the term invisible or deep Web. Specialty search tools have evolved to provide users with the means to quickly and easily find deep Web content. These specialty tools rely on advanced bot and intelligent agent technologies to search the deep Web and automatically generate specialty Web directories, such as the Virtual Private Library.

Internet research software

Internet research software captures information while performing Internet research. This information can then be organized in various ways included tagging and hierarchical trees. The goal is to collect information relevant to a specific research project in one place, so that it can be found and accessed again quickly.

These tools also allow captured content to be edited and annotated and some allow the ability to export to other formats. Other features common to outliners include the ability to use full text search which aids in quickly locating information and filters enable you to drill down to see only information relevant to a specific query. Captured and kept information also provides an additional backup, in case web pages and sites disappear or are inaccessible later.

References

^ Jordan, Ragnor. "What is Internet Research?". Retrieved 2 May 2025.
^ Black, Michael L. (1 March 2016). "The World Wide Web as Complex Data Set: Expanding the Digital Humanities into the Twentieth Century and Beyond through Internet Research". International Journal of Humanities and Arts Computing. 10 (1): 95–109. doi:10.3366/ijhac.2016.0162. ISSN 1753-8548. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
^ Sugiura, Lisa; Wiles, Rosemary; Pope, Catherine (1 July 2017). "Ethical challenges in online research: Public/private perceptions". Research Ethics. 13 (3–4): 184–199. doi:10.1177/1747016116650720. ISSN 1747-0161. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
^ Buchanan, Elizabeth A.; Zimmer, Michael (2023). Edward N. Zalta; Uri Nodelman (eds.). "Internet Research Ethics". The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2023 ed.). Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
^ "Internet Research". 2 May 2025. Internet Research is an international, refereed journal that aims to describe, assess and foster understanding of the role of wide-area, multi-purpose computer networks such as the Internet.
^ Standing, Craig; Tang-Taye, Jean-Pierre; and Boyer, Michel (2 January 2014). "The Impact of the Internet in Travel and Tourism: A Research Review 2001–2010". Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 31 (1): 82–113. doi:10.1080/10548408.2014.861724. ISSN 1054-8408. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
^ Hargittai, E. (April 2002). "Second-Level Digital Divide: Differences in People's Online Skills". First Monday. 7 (4). doi:10.5210/fm.v7i4.942.
^ "Defining "The Library" and "The Internet:" An Introduction". Kennesaw State University. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
^ Campoverde-Molina, Milton; Luján-Mora, Sergio; Valverde, Llorenç (2023). "Accessibility of university websites worldwide: a systematic literature review". Universal Access in the Information Society. 22 (1): 133–168. doi:10.1007/s10209-021-00825-z. ISSN 1615-5289. PMC 8259087. PMID 34248456.
^ Brügger, Niels (2012). "When the Present Web is Later the Past: Web Historiography, Digital History, and Internet Studies". Historical Social Research / Historische Sozialforschung. 37 (4 (142)): 102–117. ISSN 0172-6404. JSTOR 41756477. Retrieved 3 May 2025.

External links

Concordia University. "How to use the Web for research". Concordia University. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
History Department (University of Colorado Boulder). "Using the Internet for Research". University of Colorado Boulder. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
MacDonald, W. Brock. "Research Using the Internet". University of Toronto. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
Pew Research Center (19 March 2015). "Internet Seen as Positive Influence on Education but Negative on Morality in Emerging and Developing Nations". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
Rod Library (University of Northern Iowa). "Using the Internet for Research". University of Northern Iowa. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
University of Sussex. "Using the internet for research". University of Sussex. Retrieved 23 March 2015.

[1] Jordan, Ragnor. "What is Internet Research?". Retrieved 2 May 2025.

[2] Black, Michael L. (1 March 2016). "The World Wide Web as Complex Data Set: Expanding the Digital Humanities into the Twentieth Century and Beyond through Internet Research". International Journal of Humanities and Arts Computing. 10 (1): 95–109. doi:10.3366/ijhac.2016.0162. ISSN 1753-8548. Retrieved 2 May 2025.

[3] Sugiura, Lisa; Wiles, Rosemary; Pope, Catherine (1 July 2017). "Ethical challenges in online research: Public/private perceptions". Research Ethics. 13 (3–4): 184–199. doi:10.1177/1747016116650720. ISSN 1747-0161. Retrieved 3 May 2025.

[4] Buchanan, Elizabeth A.; Zimmer, Michael (2023). Edward N. Zalta; Uri Nodelman (eds.). "Internet Research Ethics". The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2023 ed.). Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Retrieved 3 May 2025.

[5] "Internet Research". 2 May 2025. Internet Research is an international, refereed journal that aims to describe, assess and foster understanding of the role of wide-area, multi-purpose computer networks such as the Internet.

[6] Standing, Craig; Tang-Taye, Jean-Pierre; and Boyer, Michel (2 January 2014). "The Impact of the Internet in Travel and Tourism: A Research Review 2001–2010". Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 31 (1): 82–113. doi:10.1080/10548408.2014.861724. ISSN 1054-8408. Retrieved 2 May 2025.

[7] Hargittai, E. (April 2002). "Second-Level Digital Divide: Differences in People's Online Skills". First Monday. 7 (4). doi:10.5210/fm.v7i4.942.

[8] "Defining "The Library" and "The Internet:" An Introduction". Kennesaw State University. Retrieved 28 April 2025.

[9] Campoverde-Molina, Milton; Luján-Mora, Sergio; Valverde, Llorenç (2023). "Accessibility of university websites worldwide: a systematic literature review". Universal Access in the Information Society. 22 (1): 133–168. doi:10.1007/s10209-021-00825-z. ISSN 1615-5289. PMC 8259087. PMID 34248456.

[10] Brügger, Niels (2012). "When the Present Web is Later the Past: Web Historiography, Digital History, and Internet Studies". Historical Social Research / Historische Sozialforschung. 37 (4 (142)): 102–117. ISSN 0172-6404. JSTOR 41756477. Retrieved 3 May 2025.

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