Rules of Netiquette

Contextualized Online Search and Research Skills refers to the ability to effectively and critically navigate the vast digital landscape to find, evaluate, and utilize information from online sources with a specific context or for a particular purpose.

Online search and research techniques are ever-evolving due to changes in technology and information availability.

Research is a systematic inquiry that attempts to provide solutions to existing problems and questions using facts and data. This is usually presented in a form where all methods and procedures conducted are recorded where it can be viewed and accessed by others.

Developing strong research skills is crucial for effectively conducting research, analyzing information, and contributing to your field of interest. Here are some essential research skills you should consider developing.

Using your network in research maximizes your access to knowledge, expertise, and opportunities contributing to the success and impact of your research endeavors.

Below are some ICT tools useful in any research…

✅ Google Search – Google Search is a web search engine developed by Google, one of the world’s leading technology companies. It’s designed to help users find information on the internet by indexing and organizing vast amounts of web pages, documents, images, videos, and other online content

✅ Google Scholar – Google Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine developed by Google that focuses specifically on scholarly literature. Using google scholar, you can search for research papers, articles, books, court rulings, and other sources of scholarly information.

✅ Online Journals – Online journals, also known as electronic journals or e-journals, are digital versions of traditional print journals. It contains experiences and study about a particular discipline and specialized field of study. The contributors such as researchers, professors, doctors, and professionals based on their fields.

✅ Academic Websites – Academic websites and libraries provide electronic copies of papers, journals, books, videos, and audio recording that may aid you in the research process.

✅ Internet Archive – The Internet Archive is a nonprofit digital library that was founded in 1996 with the mission of providing “Universal Access to All Knowledge.”

✅ Ebscohost – EBSCOhost is another digital library that offers premium fee-based access to mainly academic materials that are normally not available for public use.

✅ JSTOR – JSTOR stands for “Journal Storage” and is a digital library which provides full text searches of books, primary sources, and other scholarly materials. JSTOR is another digital literary that is primarily licensed to academic, scientific and other research and educational institutions. JSTOR provides access to more than 12 million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources in 75 disciplines.

What is the Internet?

The internet, short for “interconnected network,” is a global system of interconnected computer networks that allows for the exchange of information and data across the world. In general, the Internet can be used to communicate across large or small distances, share information from any place in the world and access information or answers to almost any question in moments.

ICT and Internet Safety

Online safety is the ability to understand and recognize threats that exist on the internet, as well as having the skills and knowledge to avoid these threats. 

Online security, also known as cybersecurity or internet security, refers to the practices, measures, and strategies designed to protect individuals, organizations, and their digital assets from various online threats and risks. 

Different types of online security:

Complex Password Security – Social media platforms and websites that allow you to have an account or offer a login entry system will more often than not, ask you to create a password in order to gain access in the future.

Security Questions – Security questions, also known as challenge questions or secret questions, are a form of authentication used to verify a person’s identity when accessing an online account or recovering a password.

Anti-Virus Software/Freeware – Antivirus software that can be purchased or freely downloaded can be very useful in providing protection to internet users. Most security products will block viruses and threats from accessing or affecting your device.

Two-Factor Authentication – Two-factor authentication (2FA), also known as multi-factor authentication (MFA), is a security mechanism that requires users to provide two or more distinct forms of verification before they can access an account, system, or application.

Malware and Viruses

Malware, short for malicious software, refers to any intrusive software developed by cybercriminals (often called hackers) to steal data and damage or destroy computers and computer systems.

Trojan viruses are disguised as helpful software programs. But once the user downloads it, the Trojan virus can gain access to sensitive data and then modify, block, or delete the data.

Ransomware is malicious software that gains access to sensitive information within a system, encrypts that information so that the user cannot access it, and then demands a financial payout for the data to be released.

Computer ethics refers to the moral principles and guidelines that dictate how individuals and organizations should behave when using technology and engaging in digital activities.

The following are good practices when using the internet:

✅ Always keep your software or application updated and uninstall the ones that you do not use.

✅ Do not divulge sensitive information online, especially on unsafe websites.

✅ Be careful when dealing with emails from unknown sources or spam.

✅ Run your antivirus software before going online.

✅ Think before you click. What you post on the Internet may stay online.

Plagiarism refers to the act of using someone else’s work, ideas, or intellectual property without giving them proper credit or permission and presenting it as your own.

Quoting is described as using the exact word said or written by another author in your academic paper. This external information is usually used in order to support your own claim / arguments. 

Referencing is a fundamental aspect of academic and research writing, as it demonstrates your engagement with existing literature, gives credit to other researchers’ work, and adds credibility to your own arguments and findings.