Academic Research on the Internet

Book excerpt: Find what you’re looking for with the best Internet resources for academic research in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences! Which academic resource deserves more of your budget: printed books and journals or softly glowing terminals? The answer differs depending on the subject area, the availability and reliability of Internet information in that field, and the comparative value of Internet research and traditional print media. Academic Research on the Internet: Options for Scholars and Libraries gives you the information you need to make those choices. This comprehensive book examines the usability of the Internet as a scholarly research and reference tool. Each chapter provides a snapshot of Internet information access and usability in a specific subject area, comparing it to traditional print media. In addition, each chapter includes a selected webliography of key resources-a time-saving tool for librarians on the reference desk. Experts in specific subject areas provide up-to-the-minute assessments of the usefulness of the Internet for research in their fields, including: Arts and Architecture Biology Engineering Chemistry Physics and Mathematics Music Philosophy English and American Literature History Political Science Business Education Anthropology and Sociology Health Sciences Public Administration Law Environmental Sciences Reference Academic Research on the Internet is designed to provide the facts you need about the reliability, timeliness, and availability of Internet information. With this information, you can decide on the relative value of print subscriptions, assess the degree to which the Internet alone can satisfy users’ information needs, and make intelligent choices about budget allocation.