Question

For most of this research, we use the Internet. Just keying in a question to Google or Wikipedia will give us more information than we need! These sources, however, are not necessarily considered to be appropriate for research done for school or business reports.

Wikipedia is "open source," meaning anyone can add to it. Google is simply a search engine, and will sometimes take you to sites that are not necessarily telling the true story!

1. What are some of the extensions of websites that are considered acceptable for academic research? (HINT: One of them is .edu). There are at least three others.

2. Why is it important to use reliable websites when researching for academic or business papers?

3. What are some of the qualities of a website that has credibility?

4. What are the names of some of the search engines available to you via the SCC Library system?

5. Have you used library search engines before? Is so, what was your experience with them?

6. What is the difference between primary and secondary data? Give two examples of each kind.

7. Have you used either/both before? If so, in what capacity?

8. What is one advantage/disadvantage of primary data?

9. What is one advantage/disadvantage of secondary data?

10. Can you think of a primary data source you would love to see?

Answer 1

Question 1: Three extensions of websites that are considered acceptable for academic research are:

1. .gov: The domain is generated from the word government, showing its restricted use by government entities in the United States. As the domain is meant for government purposes, it could be considered acceptable for academic research as well.

2. .org: The domain is basically used by organizations that do not work for profit. Apart from the non-profit organizations, the domain is used by several schools, open-source projects and communities as well.

3. .pro: The domain name is derived from professional. It is intended to be used by professionals from the legal, accountancy, engineering or medical field. The domain is also an acceptable domain for academic research.