A recent report on students’ research habits raises questions about all the hand-wringing in academe concerning students’ overreliance on Google and Wikipedia to complete assignments. The report, based on a study conducted this year at Saint Mary’s College of California, found that most students started their research by turning to course readings or the library Web site, not Web search engines or Wikipedia.
The study, which surveyed only students majoring in the humanities and social sciences, found that 63 percent of students began their research with the library Web site or course readings, while only 16 percent began with Wikipedia or a search engine.
Still, the report says that many students are overwhelmed by research assignments, “especially selecting and evaluating information and figuring out professors’ expectations for quality research.” —Andrea L. Foster
