Digital Resources: Definition and Examples (2024)

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Digital Resources Definition

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.

Types of Digital Resources

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:

Internet Resources

• Websites

• Blogs

• Forums/ Chatrooms

• Search engines

• Online libraries and databases

Offline Digital Resources

• Photos/ Images

• Videos

• Audio recordings

Digital Resources Examples

Here are some examples of digital resources:

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:

Internet Resource Examples

• 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.

• 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.

Offline Digital Resource Examples

• 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.

Digital Resources in Education

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.

Using Digital Resources in Your Study

Here are some tips on how to get the most out of digital resources during your studies:

Finding Resources

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.

Useful Digital Resources for English Language

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.

Referencing Digital Resources

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.

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*.

Evaluating Digital Resources

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:

Digital Resources Advantages and Disadvantages

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.

Advantages

• 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.

Disadvantages

• 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.

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?

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.

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