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When researching a topic for an essay or project, you should ensure you have a good amount of knowledge and that reliable and accurate sources back up this knowledge. Researching widely across both print and digital resources can help ensure your information is factually correct, up-to-date, and complete.
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Sign up for freeWhich kind of resource is more interactive?
Which of these digital resources could be described as an online journal of thoughts, activities, or opinions?
True or false, images are the only digital resource that are made up of pixels.
True or false, social media is a great resource for research.
Identify which of these is an advantage of using digital resources in education.
Which of these descriptions best fits with "digital resources"?
Which of these is NOT a digital resource?
Which kind of resource is more interactive?
Which of these digital resources could be described as an online journal of thoughts, activities, or opinions?
True or false, images are the only digital resource that are made up of pixels.
True or false, social media is a great resource for research.
Identify which of these is an advantage of using digital resources in education.
Which of these descriptions best fits with "digital resources"?
Which of these is NOT a digital resource?
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Team Digital Resources Teachers
Look at it this way, using a wide range of sources is an excellent way to fill in any blanks you might come across during your research. The kind of sources we'll be focusing on in this explanation are digital resources. We'll look at different types of digital resources, some examples, and the pros and cons of using digital research materials.
Fig. 1 - The internet is a source of many digital resources
It makes sense to start at the very beginning. With that in mind, let's look at the definition of digital resources.
Digital resources, or digital sources, refer to any type of information or media that is stored or transmitted in a digital format, such as on a computer or the internet. This can include text documents, images, audio and video files, and data sets. Digital resources are increasingly important in academic research, as they allow for quick and easy access to a wide range of information from various sources.
The word “digital” itself refers to any electronic piece of technology that creates, uses, or stores information in a sequence of 1s and 0s. You might have heard of the term binary code or simply binary. Binary code is a coding system that uses 1s and 0s in different sequences to represent different letters, numbers, and symbols. Binary code is essentially the language of the digital world.
It's likely that during your time in high school, you've had to do your fair share of research. Within the realm of digital resources, we can split items into two categories: internet resources and offline digital resources. You'll probably be familiar with most of these:
Websites
Blogs
Forums/ Chatrooms
Search engines
Online libraries and databases
Photos/ Images
Videos
Audio recordings
Here are some examples of digital resources:
| Examples of Digital Resources | |
|---|---|
| Type fo Resource | Examples of Digital sources |
| Online Databases | JSTOR, ProQuest, EBSCO |
| E-books | Kindle, Nook, iBooks |
| Digital Archives | Internet Archive, Library of Congress Digital Collections |
| Social Media | Twitter, Facebook, Instagram |
| Online News Sources | CNN, BBC, New York Times |
| Online Videos | YouTube, Vimeo, TED Talks |
| Online Journals | PLOS One, Nature, Science |
| Web-based Tools | Google Drive, Dropbox, Canva |
Digital sources offer many benefits for researchers, including easy access to a wide range of information, the ability to search and analyze data quickly and efficiently, and the ability to collaborate and share information with others remotely.
Now we have a basic idea of some of the digital resources that exist, let's look with more detail at some examples of each:
Websites: A website is any site you can navigate to on the internet. Websites can be educational, instructional, entertaining, and descriptive and are also commonly used to sell products and services.
Wikipedia, online retail sites, academic or institution sites, and social media sites are all examples of websites, but the list really is endless. Not all websites will be reliable sources for research (for example, you should not take things you read on social media at face value), so you need to check to ensure the information you find is accurate.
Checking the Reliability of Digital Sources
When using digital resources, particularly online ones, you must do extra work to ensure that the sources you find are reliable and up-to-date. Here are a few ways you can do this:
Blogs: Blogs are online journals where people record their thoughts, activities, or opinions about different subjects. Although blogs can be full of helpful information (e.g., a travel blog), they can also be creative and maintain a narrative based on the author's life.
Blogs are often found on websites that center on related subjects (e.g., a blog about top fishing tips is likely to be found on a website about fishing).
Forums/ Chatrooms: Forums and chatrooms are virtual spaces online where people can get together to ask questions, seek advice, and share information about different topics. Information found in a forum or chatroom should be taken with a pinch of salt and verified or fact-checked elsewhere, as there's no way of knowing if what people say in forums is accurate.
Many websites will have their own forum space. If we take the example of a fishing website, along with a blog about fishing tips and pages selling fishing equipment, the website might also have a forum where people can discuss all things “fishing.”
Search engines: Search engines are tools for looking up information on the internet by searching for specific keywords or phrases. You type in your search query, and the search engine will search the internet for information matching your keywords. It will then return the most relevant results to you. Google is the most used search engine in the world!
Search engines that might be useful to you as a student include Google Scholar and your school's own online database of resources.
Fig. 2 - Google is the most popular search engine used in America
Online libraries and databases: These resources are exactly what they say on the tin. Online libraries and databases are places where you can find books and other materials, such as journals, academic articles, and newspapers, online.
Your school might have an online library so that more people can access the same resources at once without having to borrow hard copies from the physical library.
Photos/ Images: Photos and other kinds of images are digital because they are comprised of pixels. Images can be created through photography (taking photos with a camera) or using creative programs like PhotoShop or AutoCAD.
Pixels are tiny colorful squares that, when purposefully arranged together, create digital images. Every pixel in an image is assigned a number which tells the computer what color it should be.
Video: Videos are created using electronic technology such as smartphones or video cameras. The resulting videos are processed and stored as sequences of 1s and 0s in binary code (as mentioned earlier in the article).
Most libraries will have video sections where you can borrow DVDs based on different topics. You can also find videos online on websites such as YouTube. Remember to fact-check information you learn from videos to ensure it is accurate and up-to-date.
Audio recording/ music: Similar to videos, music and other audio recordings are also created using electronic technology and are made up of binary code sequences.
Libraries may also have access to audio recordings and CDs. Remember, audio can mean more than music, and you might even be able to find some recorded interviews from the past.
Fig. 3 - Digital resources such as photos, videos, and music can be translated into binary code. Research in education allows students to practice the skills necessary to find information, fact-check it, back it up with evidence, and analyze it to draw conclusions. Digital resources are essential to your research as a student and can provide versatile learning experiences.
Here are some tips on how to get the most out of digital resources during your studies:
Look for digital resources that are useful, reliable, and up-to-date. Some places you can go to for reliable digital resources include:
Your school's online library
Academic journals
College and university websites
These sources will only publish articles and information that are reliable and current.
Some helpful digital resources to supplement your English Language studies include:
Archived newspapers, images, videos, and audio recordings
Online textbooks
Academic journals
Online dictionaries and thesauruses (these can help make your writing more interesting and provide definitions)
You should be able to find all of these things in your school's library database.
You will know by now how important referencing is. Here are some examples of how to reference digital resources using the MLA style:
To reference a webpage or article on a website, you should use this format:
Last name, First name. “Name of page or article.” Name of website. Link to website. Accessed date.
Baldwin, Emma. “The Great Gatsby Themes and Analysis”. Book Analysis, https://bookanalysis.com/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-great-gatsby/themes-analysis/. Accessed 13 September 2022.
To reference an academic journal, use this format:
Last name, First name. “Name of journal article.” Name of journal, volume and issue number (date of publication). Link to article.
Basu-Zharku, Iulia O. “The Great Gatsby's Relation to and Importance as a Work of Art.” Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse 3.01 (2011). <http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=354>
To reference an archived newspaper article, you should use this format:
Last name, First Name. “Title of article.” Title of newspaper (date of publication) Section Number. Medium*.
Banks-Altekruse, Charles. “Give the Olympics a Home.” New York Times (1 March 2010). A1. Web. 15th September 2022.
When referencing online news articles, you should include the date that you read the article.
As with any process or medium, digital resources have their time and place. They can be incredibly useful for several reasons, as seen throughout this article, but like everything else, they also have their downsides.
We'll now look at some of the pros and cons of digital resources:
Depending on your research style, you might be someone who loves researching online and using a multitude of digital aids. Alternatively, you might prefer the old-school approach of heading to the library and getting stuck into some textbooks. Whatever your personal view of digital resources, it's important to appreciate their upsides and downsides.
They add variety to research and information rather than only using print resources.
Online resources enable the researcher to cross-reference information across several sources to ensure information is current and factually accurate.
Digital tools are more interactive than print resources, giving people more opportunities to creatively and critically approach topics.
Many digital resources are free or inexpensive, whereas textbooks and other print resources can be quite pricey.
Most digital resources require internet access and/or electrical equipment, which some people might not have regular access to.
Online resources can be difficult to verify, and some information might not be accurate or up-to-date.
Access to too many different digital sources can sometimes muddy the waters and lead to confusion or overwhelm.
Many distractions on the internet do not exist in real-world environments, such as libraries or classrooms.
Digital resources are not always enough on their own; they may need to be supplemented with print resources to create a complete understanding of your research subject.
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What are online digital resources?
Online digital resources are resources that can be found on the internet such as blogs, websites, forums etc.
What are digital resources in technology?
Digital resources are sources accessed online using technology such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Technology is a useful aid in enabling access to different kinds of information and resources that we might not be able to access in print, or in our geographical region. Digital resources can also make use of technology outside of the internet: such as cameras, CDs and cassettes, etc.
What are the types of digital resources?
Some examples of digital resources include:
What is the purpose of digital resources?
The purpose of digital resources is to improve your understanding of a subject and help you to ensure your knowledge and information are as up-to-date, factually accurate, and complete as they can be. Using only print resources for research can be quite limiting.
How can we use digital resources effectively?
We can use digital resources effectively by researching widely rather than referring to only one or two digital resources, and by checking that all resources are current and accurate. It is important to be organized when researching and to keep track of the resources you use for referencing and citation purposes.
What are digital resources?
Digital resources refer to any type of information or media that is stored or transmitted in a digital format, such as on a computer or the internet. This can include text documents, images, audio and video files, and data sets. Digital resources are increasingly important in academic research, as they allow for quick and easy access to a wide range of information from various sources.
At StudySmarter, we have created a learning platform that serves millions of students. Meet the people who work hard to deliver fact based content as well as making sure it is verified.
Lily Hulatt is a Digital Content Specialist with over three years of experience in content strategy and curriculum design. She gained her PhD in English Literature from Durham University in 2022, taught in Durham University’s English Studies Department, and has contributed to a number of publications. Lily specialises in English Literature, English Language, History, and Philosophy.
Get to know Lily
Gabriel Freitas is an AI Engineer with a solid experience in software development, machine learning algorithms, and generative AI, including large language models’ (LLMs) applications. Graduated in Electrical Engineering at the University of São Paulo, he is currently pursuing an MSc in Computer Engineering at the University of Campinas, specializing in machine learning topics. Gabriel has a strong background in software engineering and has worked on projects involving computer vision, embedded AI, and LLM applications.
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