If I had to write a paper right now I would choose the topic; how technology has advanced our society in the past 20 years. I like this topic because first of all it is something that I am interested in, therefore I would be more willing to take the time to research the topic. Second I know that there has been a huge change in our society due to the technology of today so I was assured that I would be able to find plenty of information.
To start off my research I went straight for the search engine that I have used and loved for the past five years, the internet. As usual my first stop was Google.com, I then typed in key words that were associated with my topic; technology, advancement in society, technology today, etc.
It’s hard when searching the internet to know what sites are credible and which sites aren’t. I’ve learned throughout my years to never trust Wikipedia.com no matter how factual the information on their site sounds. Anyone can post anything they want, so even if their information is correct you can’t count on that all the time.
The way they I try and determine which sites are credible and which isn’t is by the end of their web address. If it ends with an edu, or gov it means it has been made by a direct company, unlike an individual who made their own web page about whatever they wanted. Another way I know if a site is credible if it is put on by a known source. For example if I can information on CNN.com or MSN.com two well knows news sites that carry information around the world, I will feel confident in believing whatever information I read.
If I were a teacher and I had to evaluate a student’s work and decide whether or not their information is credible or not is by their web address. The same way that I can decide what sites are credible or not is how I would determine if my student’s sites were. If they had written down on their work cited www.weirdinfo.com I don’t think I would believe what they were telling me.
For example I found some very interesting information on the NCAA website about my topic of what technology has done to our society. Since I play basketball here at OSU I am very familiar with the NCAA and was excited to find information that dealt with my topic. It talked about how recruiting has become such a challenge with the use of the internet because it is one more way for coaches to stay in contact with the athletes. Also it talks about how boosters for the school try and get a hold of student’s athletes, and leaves posts on blogs and message boards. It’s hard to regulate all forms of communication, which is why the internet can be seen as a negative to such an already highly competitive world of recruiting.
In chapter 5 of Postman’s book it talks about how the internet has helped handicap ourselves and the amount of work we put in to figure things out. For this paper I used the internet to find all three of my sources just because that was the most convenient, and it was defiantly the easiest. I didn’t have the responsibility on my shoulders to go to the library and look up books and newspaper articles that would help prove my point. This would have taken more time and would have made me use a lot more brain power something I’m not accustomed to doing after using the internet for so many years.
http://www.pepperdinesports.com/fls/18500/pdf/pepp-electronic-comm.pdf.
I enjoyed reading your thoughts!
I found it interesting how wikipedia’s credibility is reduced because “anyone can post whatever they want.” I wouldn’t argue otherwise, but the weird thing with wikipedia is you can check many of the information tid-bits against a published encyclopedia and it (often) checks out! If you have a system in place that is supposed to provide a single display of a collective groups knowledge wouldn’t that be more credible? In statistics the greater the sample size and more diverse (generally speaking) the more accurate the results. Why don’t we feel that is the same for credible information? I know we look for reliable information and as far as I can see the biggest problem with wikipedia is someone could skewer the system. Like if someone thinks each kernel of corn contains an alien would they be able to provide inaccurate information on the “corn” wikipedia site? But the counter argument would be the community would correct this “corn-alien” person and the information could again be accurate… it is an interesting thing to consider.
I totally agree with you, if a website ends in Gov, or EDU…than most likely the information taken from there is probably pretty accurate.
I also CNN is a good news outlet. I think there are some shows that are a little strange, but for the most part many of their programs is straight news.
The topic to your paper sounds like a great topic. I feel as though your paper could be never-ending, and full of constant change. There is so much that technology has taught us and is still teaching us. It has made learning extremely easier, more interesting and more convenient. For example I noticed that you mentioned looking online for your sources for this paper. That made me think about how often I use the internet for information and sources. I can’t remember the last time I went to a local library, took the time to find a book by hand, (not just simply using the online book catalog) and sat down to read and take notes out of the book. That is very time consuming as well and boring. However, the internet has created a faster way to research, enabling people to research more in a shorter period of time. There are so many benefits from the technology that it sort of frowns out the negatives, even though there are MANY downsides to the technology.
I’m glad to hear another person is leery of Wikipedia! I don’t think I’ve ever been in a class where the professor has allowed its usage for research papers.
Not that we actually have to write these papers, but I think the information you found about the internet’s role in recruiting would be a good read. It never occurred to me how potentially complicated it would make an already complicated process! Did it play a role in your own decision to come to OSU for basketball? Putting your own experiences in would make the paper even more interesting. And that ties right back into whether our own experiences could be considered credible sources for a research paper. In your case, I think it could!
Good post this week