Researchers and students use deductive reasoning to break down their concepts and ideas. This process usually revolves around the development and presentation of arguments. Such kind of practice is known as academic writing. Third person perspectives and formal voices are usually used throughout the process. Modern technologies have transformed the way academic writing and research work is done. This paper describes how the Internet has changed academic paper-writing.
The Internet and Academic Paper-Writing
Modern technology is transforming the world at an unprecedented rate (Pontis, Blandford, Greifeneder, Attalla, & Neal, 2015). The Internet has led to the democratization of academic data and information. Consequently, it has continued to reshape the way different scholars and researchers learn. Many students are benefiting from this technological change. Those involved in different scholarly practices have been forced to embrace the power of the Internet in an attempt to achieve their objectives. The field of academic paper-writing has, therefore, changed significantly due to the benefits and drawbacks associated with the Internet.
The first outstanding observation is that the Internet has led to the creation of the World Wide Web (WWW) and other online-based platforms. This development has catalyzed the establishment of both the “free web” and “open web” (Owusu-Acheaw & Larson, 2015). These parts of the Internet are accessible to many people and do not require any form of subscription. Every student or researcher who is interested in writing academic paper can access adequate information. Learners will have to identify peer-reviewed and quality sources that can offer desirable evidence. For deep web, scholars should register in order to access quality content for completing their studies.
Another transformation is that students can collect adequate and recent data and/or information from the Internet. This process makes it easier for them to compare and contrast research findings and make their final conclusions (Pontis et al., 2015). With the availability of many documents, e-books, and journal articles, every student can achieve his or her goals much faster.
Owusu-Acheaw and Larson (2015) believe that the Internet has streamlined the entire research process. For instance, scholars can find different materials or resources within a short time. The individual will not have to visit libraries to gather information. It also supports many websites and databases that make the process more efficient (Geladze, 2015). This means that learners can complete their academic papers within a short period.
After the relevant content, data, or information is gathered, learners can use Internet-based resources or guidelines to organize their academic papers. This practice makes it easier for them to improve their writing competencies. They can also share their drafts with different classmates using electronic mails (e-mails) or social media platforms (Regmi, Waithaka, Paudyal, Simkhada, & van Teijlingen, 2016). The presented reviews, guidelines, and feedback can be considered to improve or edit such documents. Consequently, many students have managed to compose quality papers, thereby being in a position to achieve their academic goals.
The Internet is currently making it easier for learners to access online-based resources for different formatting styles such as APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), Harvard, and Chicago/Turabian. This is done in accordance with the guidelines or instructions specified by their professors. Learners can also access different tools for checking plagiarism (Regmi et al., 2016). Students can also use the Internet to identify different methods or steps that can be used to develop high-quality academic papers (Ryan & Watson, 2017). These practices have been observed to take academic paper-writing to the next level.
On the other hand, the use of the Internet has led to various challenges that must be taken seriously than ever before. To begin with, many students are unable to complete their research or academic papers successfully. Instead, they use Internet-based resources to gather or copy information from various publications (Regmi et al., 2016). This malpractice has led to the problem of plagiarism. Many educationists and professionals in different academic fields are finding it hard to deal with this problem.
Ryan and Watson (2017) indicate that the use of the Internet encourages many learners to use poor grammar and spelling when composing their academic papers. A study by Regmi et al. (2016) also revealed that traditional research writing processes guides and empowers many learners to think actively and synthesize information in a comprehensive manner. The approach also minimizes instances of copying and replicating academic content. When these issues are addressed, it can be easier for more students to complete their researches successfully and realize their learning goals.
Conclusion
The above discussion has revealed that modern technologies such as the Internet have transformed different practices such as learning and academic writing. On one side, it has empowered many students by ensuring that they have access to quality materials, including e-books, peer-reviewed articles, and publications. Learners can also benefit from formatting and paper organization guidelines available online. Challenges such as copying, poor grammar, and plagiarism should be tackled using evidence-based initiatives if every student is to achieve his or her potential.
References
Geladze, D. (2015). Using the Internet and computer technologies in learning/teaching process. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(2), 67-69.
Owusu-Acheaw, M., & Larson, A. G. (2015). Use of social media and its impact on academic performance of tertiary institution students: A study of students of Koforidua Polytechnic, Ghana. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(6), 94-101.
Pontis, S., Blandford, A., Greifeneder, E., Attalla, H., & Neal, D. (2015). Keeping up to date: An academic researcher’s information journey. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 68(1), 22-35. Web.
Regmi, P. R., Waithaka, E., Paudyal, A., Simkhada, P., & van Teijlingen, E. (2016). Guide to the design and application of online questionnaire surveys. Nepal Journal of Epidemiology, 6(4), 640-644. Web.
Ryan, P. J., & Watson, R. B. (2017). Research challenges for the Internet of things: What role can OR play? Systems, 5(1), 24-55. Web.