Effective Research Skills

  The way that students research has changed greatly in the last 10 years. The way students research has changed so much that libraries are being reconstructed to incorporate a place for the public to use new technologies and many are offering meeting places for clubs and crafts.  Reference books are online making the information much easier to locate, but not every aspect of this change is helpful to the students. Anyone can create webpages and post information as fact. This can cause a lot confusion and misrepresentation. When teaching students to do research the largest challenge in the 21st century is determining fact from fiction.
    An article by Scholastic outlines six important skills that students need in order to research online. The first is teacher lead practice and a list of criteria for evaluating if a source is credible and up to date, as well as a safe site to be on. The next skill is asking appropriate questions in order to get the most out of their research. Students need to practice narrowing their searches to specific terms so that they are not overwhelmed with tons of information that is of little use to them.
     The next critical skill is for the students to dig deeper into the content area and avoid just choosing the first website that appears in the search. Students need to be able to continue evaluating and searching for a deeper understanding of the information. Students also need to be patient. We now have amazing tools that can provide us with a wide variety of information instantly. When students are unable to find the answers that they require immediately, they become frustrated and may abandon the task. Student must learn that it may take several tries and a significant amount of reading in order to find the answers that they seek.
       With so much information and graphics right at their fingertips, students often forget that they do not have any rights to the items that they find on the web. Most information gathered, pictures and graphics are under ownership and are not free for use by the public. Students must be taught how to cite sources and give credit when it is due. Student also must learn how to network appropriately. It can be challenging to connect with professionals, but they offer a true insight and are a remarkable resource to have. Students have to be careful with how and who they connect with for safety reasons. When connecting with strangers online there is always a risk of speaking with someone who is not honest. Student must be taught appropriate ways to reach out to professionals in the community and educated on the dangers of sharing personal information while on the internet. There are many personal safety techniques that will greatly reduce the chances of students becoming victims of cyber crimes.

Reference
         Hanson, H. (n.d.). The 6 Online Research Skills Your Students Need. Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/6-online-research-skills-your-students-need/