However, the WWW, which allows anyone with computer access to upload a web page for public viewing, has a fundamentally different nature than traditional research sources such as a library whose contents receive screening from reviewers, editors, publishers, and librarians.

This difference raises questions about whether learners are aware of the quality differences that exist between traditional and net-sourced research

Via a quantitative analysis of 163 responses to a questionnaire and a qualitative analysis of the citations in the scripts from 17 L2 learners, it was determined that while initial indicators on the questionnaire pointed to a somewhat informed awareness of these quality issues on the part of the learners, performance on a written assignment displayed a mixed implementation of this knowledge.

The findings suggest that academic writing courses need to engender a heightened level of vigilance among student authors of both the power and the perils of Internet research.