Online Search Engines and Electronic Documents

Research on the internet is very different from the traditional way of conducting researches using books from the library; these differences cause some limitations to researchers at times (Pros and Cons of Internet-based research, 2012). Due to the limitations that occur it is important for people conducting researches online to be very careful and critical when gathering information online; this is mainly due to the fact some information online have not been evaluated and analyzed thoroughly by experts before their publication. The paper concentrates on the limitations of this type of research. Online research can impede academic researchers due to some limitations it faces. The internet has a diverse collection of research information from various authors; this makes it difficult for researchers to filter out the correct information which is most relevant to their topic of research.

Formats of online documents sourced from the internet are complicated to be cited due to the uncertainty of how to authenticate online documents (Impact of Electronic Resources on Academic and Research Programs of the University, 2011); most of the information online has not been evaluated to determine if it is relevant and informative like the information in printed books. Online resources are not portable and therefore hard to be accessed especially to people without internet access or computer or laptops. Online formats are at times not easily readable due to poor graphics (Pros and Cons of Internet-based research, 2012). Access to information online can be time-consuming especially when looking through a large amount of information to get a specific topic (Impact of Electronic Resources on Academic and Research Programs of the University, 2011).

When a person is unfamiliar with the proper procedure for accessing online journals, then they will be ineffective while conducting online research. The internet has information that is hidden from the masses. Therefore, researchers will miss out on this information that cannot be displayed on the search engine. A researcher can overcome the limitations they face through online research by observing a few guidelines. It is crucial that researchers do not rely exclusively on internet resources when conducting their academic research. Cross-checking information from books and the internet will ensure the research material gives credible information (Research Using the Internet, 2018). Rescuers should conduct their online research in conjunction with printed materials to ensure they do not miss out on relevant information.