Digital course materials are the sources of information that come in a digital form and, thus, can be accessed via a computer or another gadget. Such resources can come in many shapes and kinds, including film, text, sound recordings, etc. Also, they can be typically divided into two general groups:
- Born-digital – these materials originated in a digital form;
- Converted – these materials originated in other forms and were later converted into digital files.
When can you use such materials? There are quite a few cases. Namely, you can opt for digital course materials to replace traditional textbooks. Also, you can rely on such sources of information in your research for an essay, coursework, dissertation, or any other academic paper.
Thus, it is vital to know how to locate quality materials with ease. So, for now, entrust your papers to DoMyEssay, a professional essay writing service, and take your time to read this guide to learn why, where, and how to search for digital course materials.
Why Choose Digital Materials Over Non-Digital Ones?
When it comes to research and studying in general, for decades, people were used to relying only on non-digital learning media such as notes, textbooks, etc. However, in the 21st century, we have a huge range of digital sources such as slides, e-books, apps, video lectures, podcasts, and more. And these digital materials have quite a few benefits.
Namely, there are three core reasons to opt for digital academic materials:
- Convenience – Digital course materials are much more convenient to use than physical ones. They are easier to buy, they don’t take any space, and don’t require you to carry a heavy load around. Besides, digital materials can synchronize across multiple devices, allowing you to access them from anywhere.
- Affordability – Traditional textbooks have always been quite expensive, and their price keeps growing every year, whereas digital course materials are much more affordable and, thus, accessible to everyone.
- Engagement – Lastly, digital course materials allow conveying information in many different forms, and not only through printed text and images. They can include various interactive elements and multimedia, thus, offering a much more engaging learning experience.
Okay, the benefits are clear, but how can you find digital materials you can trust? Read on to find the answer!
High-Quality Digital Course Materials: Where and How to Locate Them
Now that you know what digital course materials are and how you can benefit from using them, the only question left to answer is where to find them. And that’s where it gets a bit tricky.
Although, as we all know, the internet is full of information, not all of it is valid and worth trusting. Not many know that the so-called “Public Web” that you can access via search engines takes up only 4% of the entire web content. The rest of the content (approximately 96%) is hidden on the Deep Web, and that’s exactly where the academic information and materials you need resides – below the surface.
To find quality digital materials, you must go far beyond traditional web search. To help you out, we have collected a list of trustworthy resources you can use to locate high-quality materials with ease.
Digital Book Index
One cool platform to search for digital materials is Digital Book Index. You can think of this site as your personal online library that contains only valid and trusted academic sources of information that come in a variety of formats.
Using this site, students can search for materials by subjects, titles, authors, and publishers. Also, a convenient advanced search feature will help you locate even the hardest to find materials quickly and easily. All sources you can find through Digital Book Index are guaranteed valid, yet, many of them are free of charge.
Google Book Search
Another cool way to find pretty much any digital book is by using Google’s Book Search. This service looks and works exactly like Google’s search engine, which you should be well familiar with. There is a search line where you can enter your query and get lots of suggestions on where you can read, buy, or download the needed book.
The best part about Google Book Search is that it has a truly huge database. After all, it is not without a reason that it is considered to be the world’s most comprehensive index service for finding books online.
Google Scholar
Another awesome service offered by the world’s leader in tech is Google Scholar. Just like the previous point on this list, Google Scholar works like a search engine. However, it was designed to find full-text scientific and academic publications on various disciplines and in a variety of formats.
UC Libraries
Finally, another handy platform you can use for finding all sorts of digital materials, including books, articles, databases, and journals, is UC Libraries. Two big reasons to bookmark this service are that it is free of charge and it gives you access to a huge database of trusted and valid materials that will definitely come in handy in your studies. So, be sure to try it!
Conclusion
These are only a few of the most trusted platforms and services for locating high-quality digital materials. Apart from the ones we mentioned here, there are also many online libraries created by universities, academic databases, archives, and much more.