Page 69 - Computer Basics - Research

1. Accuracy. It is very important to only use information in scholarly research that is accurate. The
internet is available to anyone with computer access, and anyone with a little knowledge can develop
a website. Websites do not go through the regular, rigorous editing process you will find from most
academic publishers. As a result, the information presented is often unsubstantiated and inaccurate.
If you come across inaccurate information on a website, that entire site should be viewed much more
critically. Wikipedia is a good example of asymmetrical information accuracy. Each entry must be
evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For example, you can see the use of Wikipedia in this course; this
material is helpful, accurate, and there is no reason not employ this source. The key is evaluation!
(Note that although Wikipedia may be a good place to go for an overview of a topic, when it comes
to seminary writing, use the independent sources that it leads you to rather than citing it directly.

2. Authority. Just as with any print resource, it is important to know who wrote the information you are
reading and what their credentials are to be able to present this information. If a website does not
produce this information, then the website should probably not be used.

3. Scope. How wide a scope does the site use to present information? Are other options presented and
objections dealt with? Does the site deal with the topic with enough scope to be considered
scholarly?

4. Currency. The level of importance of currency will vary greatly depending on the particular topic that
is discussed on the website. Ideally, we want to see websites that are regularly updating and revising
information. This will let us know the author(s) are staying current with the work they are presenting.

Assorted Websites
One of the largest misconceptions concerning the internet is that it has everything. This, of course, is far from the
truth. The task then becomes finding what reliable information is available that may assist us in our research
needs. The following websites can be helpful in this regard:

GotQuestions http://GotQuestions.org
This website poses 581,556 questions about the Bible or Church history and then
seeks to provide a biblically sound answer to each, referencing multiple scriptures
to support the answers. Its authors are scholarly and theologically conservative and reflect, for the most part,
the positions of our university on most issues. At the conclusion of each answer, recommended resources are
suggested, as well as related topics.

Google Scholar www.google.com/scholar
Some teachers believe this is the best scholarly search engine available. The engine returns scholarly-level
articles, websites, and citations.

Google Books http://www.google.com/books
Millions of digitized books are available at this site. Some of the books are full-text and completely visible. Some
are searchable, but not fully accessible.

The Wasbash Center Internet Guide http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/resources/guide_headings.aspx
This is the most exhaustive resource available online for theological, Biblical, and religious studies. While the
guide itself does not provide this information, it will point the researcher in the direction of online resources in
specific fields. The guide includes a variety of resources of interest, including electronic texts, journals, websites,
bibliographies, and more. The site is maintained by the Wabash librarians and is designed for teachers; however,
the site is equally useful for students.

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