Chapter II

Review of related Literature

This chapter focuses on understanding the reasons why students prefer the internet over

the library in terms of finding and acquiring information.

Internet materials and library materials

A student’s life is filled with challenges, obstacles and tasks that need to be overcome or

surpassed, majority of those challenges being the fulfilling of requirements. School requirements

come in many forms but are mostly identified through performance tasks or projects and most of

those projects encompass research papers.In this study, the researchers have focused upon two

major categories of research mediums, the internet and the library. Though both share the same

function of containing and allowing an individual to have access to information, there is still a

huge gap between the two mediums.

Internet materials and library materials such as books, Ebooks, and periodicals are used

as mediums of reference. These references are used by students for school work such as

assignments and projects, majority being research papers. The need for research materials have

become a must among students from high school up to college being that it has become common

for a student to encounter a large number of research papers thus making research a major part in

a student’s academic life.

In researching for information, the internet has become a primary choice. It is known to

contain a lot of things, seemingly accommodating an unlimited supply of information, and

the internet enables a student to expand a given topic thus making the internet a common

instrument in obtaining information. As Tillman, H. (2000) explains, “we need to use the same

critical evaluative skills in looking for information on the internet that we would do in a

book…with the growth of information on the internet and the development of more sophisticated

searching tools, there is now the more likely possibility of finding information and answers to

real questions….”Many students have relied on the internet for instant answers, facts, knowledge

and almost anything that they could possibly put into their research papers and assignments.

On the other hand, library materials are also available for a student to obtain information.

Libraries, just like the internet, contain mountains and mountains of information. It has its fair

share of facts, data and references for the needs of every student. Unfortunately, students are not

very fond of using library materials for the amount of books and periodicals overwhelm and

confuse them. Fritz, P. (2006) states that “Information on the web is abundant, and anyone can

put it there…If you are using a website as a source in your paper or project, you need to think

critically about where that information is coming from…The web is not a universal library

[underscoring added]. The library is a wealth of knowledge and information.”

Research has become a major component in a student’s life for most subjects entail it,

both the internet and library are outlets of information and both contribute a lot to a student but

unfortunately, due to popular demand, internet references have overruled library sources. Both

contain an almost endless amount of facts, figures, statistics, data and info but both still have

their boundaries.
Advantages and disadvantages of internet and library materials

The internet has become a popular medium in the field of research most notably among

high school and college students. But just like everything else on this planet, it has its

disadvantages alongside its advantages. The internet has been known to contain an almost

unlimited supply of information and because of this, many have made the internet as their first

choice when it comes to researching a certain topic. For everyone’s convenience, internet

sources have been placed in a uniformed system allowing a fast and easy means of access to

information. Due to a number of activities and tasks that a student needs to fulfil or achieve, time

management is a must and because the internet gives students a fast and easy means of access to

almost anything, the retrieving of internet sources and references ,for homework and other

projects and tasks that need to be researched, have become very common. Although it seems that

internet sources seem to be very useful and helpful, some sources can actually be uncertain,

relevance and credibility can also become a problem when it comes to obtaining internet

references and negligent use of these sources may lead to plagiarism.

According to Radcliffe, (2014) , The internet has become one of the dominant reference

of students. She states the reason why the library is a good reference in research compared to the

internet and also, she indicates the disadvantages when using the internet as reference. She

mentions that everything is not in the internet , it is not organized, it doesn’t have quality control,

sources on the internet are harder to identify, library online resources are available 24/7, tuition

fees pay for library use, trained professionals are available for assistance when using the library,

the availability of Ebooks, the internet has fewer archive materials, and the virtual library can’t
replace the traditional library even if the virtual library and internet require less work. (Radcliffe,

J., 2014).

Library materials are shown to require more work than internet materials when it comes

to evaluating and searching for references for a given topic but the library is actually more

credible than that of the internet. The problem with searching for references from the library is

that it is time consuming. It requires a large amount of time to find references that would

actually relate to the given topic and so, if a student were to search in the library, it would take

up a large portion of their time considering that they have other things to do aside from the

particular task that requires a research paper. Another problem when it comes to using the library

is that it can only be used by a limited amount of time, a student can only use the library for until

it is physically open whereas internet sources can be obtained almost anytime and anywhere.

Library materials may also be out dated or it would not be much relevant to the current world.

Aside from these disadvantages, the library has its advantages as well such as, an

organized system, availability of assistance, availability of old articles and books that cannot be

found on the internet. Most information from libraries are not biased. Facts are supported and

authors and editors are being credited in each source. As stated by Gilbert (2014),

Disorganization is one of the disadvantages of the internet and because of this, some information

cannot be found except in mediums in the library. (Gilbert,2014).

Another positive thing about the library is that it is open to the public. Some students lack

the essentials in order to connect and access information from the internet and so, they can

access and obtain information through the library.

information but they have different ways of relaying that information in order to suit the needs of

the ones in need of it. In discussing the advantages and disadvantages of using internet sources

and library sources, the researchers are able to identify and properly distinguish the differences

between the two tools of obtaining information and be able to give a clear understanding of what

each medium has to offer.

Convenience over Credibility

Over the years, due to a large number of tasks that a student has to do, they have become

overwhelmed, frustrated and tired resulting them to neglect the proper ways of handling certain

things especially in researching materials from the internet. They ignore and neglect the proper

steps or ways in collecting references for research papers. Students usually just take whatever

source fits their topic and give little or no credit at all to the original author of the source that

they have retrieved. According to the “Citing internet sources, (n. d.), As the internet is vast and

wide, one can easily post or publish data. Anonymity within the internet encourages a fast relay

of reliable or unreliable information, because of this, many question the credibility as the author

is unknown.(“Citing internet sources”, n. d. ).

Students now a days, have created a mindset, a mindset that tells them that it’s

acceptable to copy and paste, it’s fine to not credit the author, it’s fine as long as no one will

notice, it’s okay because everyone else is doing it, most students are like that. They have become

dependent over internet sources. It has become a problem because due to the convenience of fast
and easy access of information through the internet, the importance of credibility has been

ignored and set aside by students.

As a student focuses on convenience rather than on the credibility of a reference, the

quality of their sources could be poor resulting in their research papers to be filled with bias

reviews, false data and other factors that might disrupt the effectiveness of their paper. A

source’s credibility is extremely important in the field of research. Kevin, (2013) states that,

Factors that determine the credibility of a source are, the author, the date, the sources or the

linked references, the domain (e.g. .com, .org), the site design and the writing style. Not all

websites contain reliable information, when one comes across this, they can search for books or

encyclopedias about the investigated topic. (Kevin, B., 2013).

In evaluating these factors, a student can avoid a number of mistakes for example, in

giving credit to the original author of a given reference, may it be an Ebook, or article, a student

does not only acknowledge the author but also refrains his or herself from committing

plagiarism. It is very important to know that in acknowledging an author, one not only shows

that they are merely borrowing his or her ideas but one also shows that they are taking

somebody else’s words and ideas without actually stealing any of it.

In relation to the researchers’ study, this poses as a problem among students and is an

issue that will be need to addressed.

As proposed by Brizee & Driscoll (2013), “Evaluating sources is an important skill. It’s

been called an art as well as work-much of which is detective work. You have to decide where to

look, what clues to search for, and what to accept. You may be overwhelmed with too much

information or too little…Learning how to evaluate effectively is a skill you need both for your

course papers and for your life.” Internet sources are described to be unorganized and unreliable.

In order for a student to find the appropriate reference for their research, they must evaluate their

sources properly. In evaluating sources one of the first things that one would have to consider is

the credibility of the source. As explained in the

“Milstein undergraduate library: Evaluating online sources”, In order to know a source’s

credibility, one must identify the author and publisher. One must consider the reliability and

background of the publisher. There are also other things to consider such as, accuracy,

objectivity, timeliness, which can help determine the relevance of the information, other

references that are linked to a source and also a sponsorship. These can either increase or

decrease the credibility of a source.( “Milstein undergraduate library: Evaluating online sources”,

n. d. ).

A student must evaluate their sources properly to check reliability, relevance, accuracy,

quality and all the other factors that are needed when making a research paper. Another way of

evaluating internet sources is by knowing the purpose of the input and by knowing the purpose,

you will be able to understand and know the content of the given source.
Dependence of students on internet references, resulting in a lack of intellectual creativity

Research papers require a lot of work, time and effort. Even small research papers require

a student to have a better understanding of a given topic, it enables students to explain the topic

and put into words what they have learned throughout the process of making a research paper.

Unfortunately, only a few are able to create such well composed essays. Most students have

become dependent to the internet as it gives them instant answers to almost anything. According

to Crooke (2007), “a wide range of different types of information sources is now available via

the internet. Examples include personal WWW home pages, organizational sites, Usenet

newsgroups, FTP archives, electronic journals-the list is almost endless”. Because of this,

students have developed a lack of intellectual creativity, not being able to think for themselves

thus also results to them not being able to expand their knowledge. It has become an issue for

teachers and English major professors to address. Kuma (2015) explains, The internet has made

students dependant on it as it is an important component of the search for information, as well as

a component of library services. Although students find it difficult to determine internet sources

from library sources, the former has always been a preferred medium. Upon increasing the use of

internet sources, a decrease in the use of library sources occurs. (Kuma, C. H., 2015).
 Review of related studies

Evaluating Quality on the Net

To address the evaluation of internet materials, Alison Cooke, (2007) had written in her

book the truth about information on the internet. Cooke, (2007) claims that although yes, the

internet can be of great value when it comes to gathering information but it can also be a huge

waste of time. (p. 2). In her book, she aims to guide internet users on how to properly address

internet sources for researching purposes. Cooke, (2007) states that within this book entails the

searching for quality information sources available via internet and assessing the quality of these

materials once found. Topics that need to be discussed are divided into sections, the following of

which are: the quality of information in the internet and the internet itself, the increase of

information quality by utilizing search amenities, the assessment of quality in internet materials,

and the assessment of different types of research materials in the internet. (Cooke, A., 2007, p. 2-

17).

In knowing all these things, one can be able to produce a proper and effective research

among the acquired sources that has been taken from the internet. In reading this book, one is

able to learn and expand their knowledge of internet materials and how one should properly

evaluate these materials and sources.

In his article, evaluating quality on the net, Tillman (2000) explains the proper

assessment of information from the internet and also broadens the explanation and description
about internet sources, its quality, relevance and its overall value to everyone. (Tillman, H. N.,

2000). Although in the researchers’ study, the students will be the main focus, in terms of finding

reference and research materials for researching purposes.

In expanding the information of evaluating sources, Tillman, H. N. (2000) addresses the

following subjects, “relevance of existing criteria for other formats looking at the continuum of

information on the net, generic criteria for evaluation, the current state of evaluation tools on the

net or evaluating the evaluators, key indicators of ‘quality’, and expansion of the universe of

providers or publishers, promoters and networkers or communicators indicating that the internet

is a strong outlet for multi-channel communication and interaction.”.

METHODOLOGY

In this chapter , the process of this study will be explained accordingly by the

researchers. In the researchers process, the following subheadings will be explained and

expanded , this includes the research design, research locale, respondents, research instruments,

data collection procedure, and data analysis procedure. The following subheadings will provide

the readers or participants to have a clear understanding of the methods used within the

construction of this particular study.

Research Design

The researchers’ study focuses on the preference of internet materials over library

materials, in conducting this study, the researchers will use a qualitative method for they aim to

broaden the understanding and knowledge of using internet sources among students when

conducting or constructing research papers, they also aim to know the opinions and reviews of

senior high school students, majority preferring to use the internet over the library in obtaining

research materials ,sources, and references . This method includes the use of interviews and

questionnaires in conducting the research.

This study will be conducted within Silliman University, Dumaguete City. As this study

aims to know students preferences on research materials, participants in the library will be given

questionnaires containing questions relating to the topic at hand.

Since Silliman library accommodates both electronic and traditional methods of obtaining

information, it would be an appropriate place to find participants or students to partake in the

researchers’ interview. The duration of the interview will require the participant to answer as

honestly as they can in order for the researchers to acquire reliable data or information. The

interview will be conducted on a student on their spare time in cases where they have little to do

in order for them to focus on the questions given and be able to answer honestly.

Respondents

Participants will be recruited to answer the researchers interview specifically in the

library, for Silliman University’s library entails both electronic and traditional means of research.

The researchers shall request for the participant’s consent before giving conducting an interview.

The interview shall be conducted within questionnaires containing five to ten questions each.

Participants will be limited to a number of fifteen to twenty senior high school students.

Research Instruments
 In collecting data for the study , the researchers shall make use of the questionnaire

containing the answers of the fifteen to twenty participants. The allotted time to be given to the

participants or senior high school students will be a minimum of fifteen minutes and a maximum

of twenty minutes. This will allow the participants to thoroughly assess their answers and to be

able to give reliable data of their preference. This in turn gives the researches a wider range of

information to use when applying to the given topic of the study.

Data Collection Procedure

In the process of this study, the researches shall conduct surveys and interviews within

the structure of questionnaires. These questionnaires shall contain specific questions about the

use of internet materials and library materials and which is more preferred by senior high school

students in the field of research. These surveys will be given to students who are not engaging in

much school work at the moment to enable them to answer the following questions efficiently

but before the students will answer, the researchers shall give a piece of paper to each student

containing the focus of the study, as to give them a better understanding of the purpose of the

survey. The student shall be required to sign the paper to show that they have agreed to partake

in the survey. Participants will be given an allotted time of 15 to 20 minutes to answer the

questionnaires or surveys. When finished, the researchers shall collect the answered surveys and

evaluate the answers from then on out.

Data Analysis Procedure

answers of each participant. After which the answers are evaluated and compared, categorization

shall follow as who falls under an Internet user, a library user or both. Tallying of numbers ,of

which medium of reference has most picks, shall then commence. This will help the researchers

to systematically examine and evaluate the gathered data. In the questionnaire, there will be

essay questions as to view each participant’s opinions. This will help the researchers differentiate

or compare each student’s answer to obtain further explanation for the reasons of why most

prefer this or that. As all of the gathered data has been evaluated, the researchers shall then

organize and compile the evaluated data.

Brizee, A. , & Driscoll, D. L. (2013). Evaluating sources: Overview. http://owl.english.purdue.

edu/owl/resources/553/01/

Fritz, P. (2006). Evaluating research: Library vs. internet. Retrieved from

http://libguides.stonehill.edu/c.php?g=358557&p=2420856

Gilbert, E., (2014, February 12). Online library versus internet for research: Which is best? Retrieved

http://www.aiuniv.edu/blog/february-2014/online-libary-vs-internet-for-research

Herrings, M. (2001, April). 10 reasons why the internet is no substitute for a library. American Libraries.

(pp. 76-78). Retrieved from http://www.tnstate.edu/library/publicservices/library_vs_inter

net.aspx

Kevin, B.,(2013). How can I tell if a website is credible. Retrieved from

http://uknowit.uwgb.edu/page.php?id=30276
 Kuma, C.H.,(2015). A comparative study of use of the library and the internet as sources of information

by graduate students in the university if Ghana. Library philosophy and practice. Retrieved from

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/1298

Radcliff, J. B., (2014). Library vs. Internet then good reason to use the library. Retrieved from

http://www.tnstate.edu/library/publicservices/library_vs_internet.aspx

Tillman, H. N., (2000, May30). Evaluating quality on the net. Retrieved from http://www.dronet.

.org/lineeguida/ligu_pdf/evelqual.pdf

Citing internet sources. (n.d). Retrieved from http://ctl.yale.edu./writing/using-sources/citing-

Internet-sources

Milstein undergraduate library : Evaluating online sources. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://libary.

columbia.edu/locations/undergraduate/evaluating_wed.html

Cooke, A. (2007). Neal-Schuman authoritative guide to evaluating information on the internet.

chapter 1 (pp.2-17)