NET'S A GOOD RESEARCH TOOL, BUT OFTEN IT'S NOT THE BEST

Being a high school student in the Age of the Internet isn't always easy. While the Internet makes doing research much easier and faster, it makes plagiarism and getting a hold of inaccurate sources easier and faster, too.

Y-Press recently interviewed two North Central faculty members, Kathryn Allison, head of the English department, and Sue Landaw, a media specialist, to get their opinions on Internet research. Likewise, four students were interviewed: senior Michael Baldwin, 18, and juniors Joyce Adams, 16, Alison Pryweller, 17, and Lauren Yates, 17.

Students recognize the Internet as a quick and easy way to find the information they need when doing research.

"I use the Internet for almost every single research paper," said Alison. "Things are much easier to find online just by typing in a few words, as opposed to having to go to the library and use a card catalog to manually look everything up."

The students agreed that they do a lot of their research online.

"I do probably 80 percent of my research online, and the other 20 percent I get the sources from online and then I look them up in hard-copy form," said Alison.

Other students use the Internet to start their research, then turn to books and other publications as they narrow their search.

"Normally I'll start at the Internet and then go to the library and find different (sources) and see if the information corresponds," Lauren explained.

"A lot of times I use the Internet for research to find books before I go to the library," Michael said.

While the Internet provides a lot of information quickly, it might not be the right information. For Joyce, the Internet isn't always the best source to use.

"I've found that the Internet is really ineffective, or it's time-consuming and you don't always get enough stuff," she said.

Teachers' reactions

Teachers see other disadvantages to students' use of the Internet. While the students interviewed know how to evaluate and use the information they find on the Internet, others do not.

Landaw stated that many inexperienced students are attracted to glitzy Web sites that may not be legitimate. She recalled helping a freshman who was looking on the Internet for information on Michael Jordan.

"He was into this site that he was very excited about. Peering over his shoulder, I said, 'Do you realize that in the first paragraph there are four misspelled words? Does that tell you something about the reliability of this site?' ''

Teachers and media specialists teach students how to evaluate Web sites. Both educators said that one of the first things students should do is look at a Web site's address -- for example, an .edu suffix lets them know a site is based at an educational institution.

Landaw has a few other tips, including looking for sites with a scholarly appearance, that have citations for other publications or that clearly identify the author of the site.

Teachers also have to be on the alert for student misuse of the Internet. While the Internet makes plagiarism easier, these teachers are not overly concerned.

For one, students must cite all their sources for papers at North Central.

"We do spot-check those sources, and occasionally we will ask a kid to produce a page from the printed material, or we'll just call that Web site up to see if we can find that piece of information," Allison said.

All of the students we interviewed agreed that plagiarism is not worth it.

"It's really immoral to let someone else do the work for you," said Joyce.

Lauren elaborated: "I'd rather get a C on the paper for something I wrote than an A for something I just stole off the Internet. It's not worth it."

Teachers understand the allure of the Internet and are not opposed to letting students use it for research.

Landaw said, "I like to see students use the Internet for research, as long as they are required to use other types of sources as well. . . . It's excellent for research, but I want students to continue to be able to find print sources."

North Central teachers require a variety of sources in research papers. "If they require six sources, they tend to divide it into three ways: magazines, books, Internet," Landaw said.

Students think the policy is fair.

"All of my teachers have been pretty cool with letting us use the Internet," said Lauren.

"I think teachers should accept Internet sources, but they should also monitor what kind of sources you're using," Michael said. "I think by doing that, you're gonna be a critical researcher and a critical learner."

However, Alison thinks some teachers let students rely too heavily on the Internet.

"I think that teachers shouldn't be as accepting of Internet sources as they are, because it's too easy. It doesn't really make you think. All you have to do is type in a word, not go look for yourself," she said.

A world of change

The advent of the Internet has brought about a huge change in student assignments.

"It used to be we had a hard time finding enough sources on topics. Now we have so much information out there that students have to train themselves to be very, very discriminating in terms of what really good sources are," said Allison. "Anybody can have a Web page. Anybody can put anything they want out on the Internet."

For all but one student, the Internet has been a blessing.

Michael said: "The Internet's just faster, and Americans like speed. They like information fast, they like TV, they like things they can get quick."

Joyce had another view.

"I think a lot of students are fundamentally lazy, and the Internet helps them be lazy.

"I would definitely choose the book, or just using books in general," she continued. "I find that they're more reliable, and especially if you're doing something historical, they're a much better choice because a lot of things that are historical haven't been on the Internet because they're not exciting."

The teachers agreed that many students rely far too heavily on the Internet.

"What disheartens me the most is to see students working the mouse with their eyes glazed over. . . . I want to pull them out of the chair and get them out into the fresh air," Landaw said.

REPORTERS: Caitlin Callahan, 12; Kristin Drouin, 10; Chad Flowers, 12; Raeann Potasnik, 11; Clay Smith, 13; Tyler Smith, 13; and Sarah Wenzel, 10.