The development of modern technologies facilitates our education. Students use the Internet to write different kinds of research papers. The Internet databases make it easier to find the necessary literature at short notice. For example, one of the best such a computer search is ERIC (Education Resources Information Center). This database consists of bibliographic records of educational literature and the collection of full texts. More than that, it provides a non-journal alphabetical list where you may find the topic in which you are interested. Nevertheless, access to all material is not free. The prices are sometimes very expensive, the download of one article may cost 40$. Although such databases help you to save time, it is cheaper to go to the library and search the material free of charge. More than that, such databases may provide inaccurate information. Secondary sources may be incorrectly copied from the original ones. Many secondary sources are based on opinion, not on the facts and evidence. Using such databases is quite risky when you write very serious research. It is necessary to be attentive and to check the accuracy of the information you use in your research (Langley, n.d.).
CIJE (Current Index to Journals in Education) is also a very helpful program for researchers. It allows us to find the necessary articles and briefly look through the abstracts which present the main concern of these articles. The weak point of many types of research is that they are based on abstracts. It should be taken into account that these abstracts are based on a subjective point of view. They may also miss the information which is very important for your research. Having read the abstract, you realize the value of this article for your research. In this case, try to find the full article and read the whole material which helps you to make more profound and accurate research.
Many researchers starting their work look through secondary sources devoted to the topic of their work. Secondary sources contain the information which is already overworked and gathered from the primary sources. Secondary sources consist of third-party sources such as magazine articles, the information from the sites, or research reports. There are a lot of advantages to using secondary sources. First of all, they are available. They may help the researcher to clarify the research question and to find the answer for the research question (Advantages and Disadvantages of Secondary Research, 2008). Nevertheless, the overview of secondary sources is just the beginning of the research. Researchers who use only secondary sources provide incomplete and sometimes even inaccurate information. It is necessary to check the information you use in your research making references to the secondary sources. Making an overview of secondary sources, you may make a list of literature devoted to your topic which helps you to find the primary sources at the library.
The research process may be divided into several stages. Firstly, the researcher may clarify the aim of his/her research with the help of internet databases such as ERIC and CIJE. Overview of secondary sources and abstracts will be helpful for making a list of literature. When you have a complete list of literature, you should go into the library and find the primary sources which are the basis for your research. Do not be upset if you do not find the necessary primary source. There are a lot of ways to their access. At last, you may buy it. It will be cheaper for you to buy the primary source than to spend your money buying the articles at ERIC which accuracy is doubtful.
References List
Advantages and Disadvantages of Secondary Research. (2008).
Langley, M. (n.d.). Advantages & Disadvantages of Online & Library Research.