Undergraduate Students’ Experiences of Scientific Inquiry in a Web-Based Environment A Descriptive Phenomenological Study

The continuous technological development has led to the emergence of web-based environment. Studies on information-seeking behavior existed, however, researches on undergraduate students’experiences in the web-based environment are limited. The photo-elicitation interviews ranged between 30-45 minutes. Using Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological method, five constituents emerged: importance of reliable search engines, criteria in evaluating reliable information, professional and peer- help in challenging situation, using varied references, and confidence in research writing. The result contributes to the knowledge of undergraduate students’ behavior of scientific inquiry over the web-based environment.

Keywords – descriptive phenomenology, scientific inquiry, undergraduates, web-based environment