| Chapter 2: | Framing the question: A review of the relevant literature |
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of educators who must be prepared to make and implement Internet filtering decisions.
Research Questions
The major research question of this study is: What are the experiences encountered in conducting term paper research using filtered Internet access in a suburban high school media center?
Research questions that guide the process of inquiry include:
- 1) Nature of Internet Use: What is the nature of Internet use for term paper research? Who are the actors? What is the setting? What are the activities? To what extent is there a digital divide in this school?
- 2) Evaluation of Internet Use with Filters: What sorts of barriers to legitimate information exist with filtered computers? How do students overcome them? To what extent do outside influences (e.g. other people’s parents) reach into the day-to-day library research by students?
- 3) Intellectual Freedom Issues: To what extent does filtering infringe on students’ First Amendment rights? Do inadvertent contacts with controversial material harm students?