Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2005

Department

Political Science

Department

Contemporary Studies

Abstract

The Internet and other electronic media have changed the way undergraduate students conduct research. The effects of this technological change on the role of the professor are still not well understood. This article reports on the findings of a recent study that evaluated the scholarly content of student citations in a political science course and tested two interventions designed to improve their quality. The study finds that these students’ use of electronic sources was not as poor as some may have assumed, and that the quality of bibliographies improved when in-class instruction was combined with academic penalties. This article reflects on the study’s findings, and offers suggestions for how instructors might encourage students to improve the quality of their research.

Comments

This article was originally published in PS: Political Science & Politics, 38(2): 311-315. © 2005 American Political Science Association

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