This essay uses an example of a library instruction exercise in which otherwise competent online searching goes wrong as a springboard for reconceptualizing digital literacy as an environmental ethics of information. This reconceptualization is presented as a corrective measure for teachers and students grappling with the uses and misuses of AI…

Metacognitive judgment of one's online search process (calibration) is an important element of searching efficiency. This study investigated Chinese university students' calibration during online information search. Fourteen students s were asked to search answers for three assigned tasks. Immediately after the search, all participants attended…

This study discusses the findings of a survey designed to capture students' allocations of credibility to online materials resembling social media posts. The survey respondents were 1,019 undergraduate students at a medium-sized Canadian university. The students came from a range of programs and years of study in those programs. The survey…

This paper presents the first systematic investigation into the search engine optimization practices of major contract cheating websites in the United States. From a business perspective, visibility in organic search engine results is considered one of the top client recruitment tools. The current understanding of student recruitment strategies by…

Online reading for academic purposes is a complex and challenging activity that involves analysing task requirements, assessing information needs, accessing relevant contents, and evaluating the relevance and reliability of information given the task at hand. The present study implemented and tested an analytical approach to strategy training that…

Research has shown how important is for young people to acquire digital competencies that are necessary to successfully participate in society. Still, it has been reported that university students display poor digital competencies and that inequalities resulting from demographic and social factors persist even among young people who have managed…

Predicting quitting rules is critical in visual search: Did I search enough for a cancer nodule in a breast X-ray or a threat in a baggage airport scanner? This study examines the predictive power of search organization indexes like best-r, mean ITD, PAO, or intersection rates as optimal criteria to leave a search in foraging (looking for several…

Purpose: Universities play an important role in the promotion and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This study aims to examine the visibility of information about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the websites of Spanish and major international universities, by means of a quantitative and qualitative analysis…

Objective: This study aimed to understand students' ability to search the Internet for COVID-19 information and apply it to evaluate the veracity of specific statements. Participants: Undergraduate students (N = 239) at a US university completed a Web-based questionnaire in September--October 2020. Methods: The questionnaire included self-reported…

Science teachers are increasingly using internet sources for lesson planning, science content, and designing classroom activities. With the prevalence of disinformation online, there is potential for school students to learn ineffective internet search strategies and integrate disinformation into their knowledge. Science education fit for the…

Undergraduate students entering the classroom are often expected to have the skills needed to find, utilize, and synthesize academic scholarship. Yet, few feel prepared to do so. The research methods classroom provides immense opportunities for developing a meaningful foundation for students to enhance information literacy such that they feel…

The aim of this project was to identify ways in which students are using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) technologies for the planning and researching stage of essay style assignments. The study recruited 30 students from various subject areas and levels of study and with different self-reported levels of confidence in using GAI tools.…

Objective: The current study examined how college students search online for mental health information and the impact of these searches on mental health literacy, stigma, and help-seeking. Method: Undergraduate participants (N = 270; Fall 2015 to Spring 2019) were randomly assigned to search online for information about coping with anxiety for…

Mass spectrometry is essential for large-scale protein identification in proteomics. By database searching of mass spectrometry data, it is possible to identify proteins without the need to interpret MS/MS spectra (de novo sequencing), which is time-consuming and not feasible as a systematic tool in proteomic analysis. Many authors have reported…

The aim of this study is to analyze how undergraduate learners seek academic help online at a public university in the United States with Q methodology. Upon completion of the study, we identified three groups of help-seekers. The first group, informal and personal help-seekers, sought help from close friends or classmates to solve problems. The…