Waseda WeeklyWaseda Weekly

Nowadays, students will likely use digital tools for whatever they do. This is not something to be criticized, but as is often said, their capabilities are still insufficient. At the beginning of the year, I unexpectedly had the opportunity to work with the creations of generative AI, and I was reminded once again of the prevalence of misinformation in my academic field (social sciences).

Therefore, I would like to recommend "digital, sometimes analog" to students. For example, spending time researching and thoroughly reading literature in the library may seem troublesome and time-consuming at first glance. However, in this "detour" process, you can gain not only the specific information you were looking for, but also related and systematic knowledge, resulting in a cost-effective research project. For this reason, especially for beginners, I sometimes think it's better to consult "good literature" in print to avoid getting "lost."

But how do you come across "good literature"? You could ask your teacher, "I want to learn about XX, what should I read?" They might offer suggestions based on your current learning situation. Alternatively, you could read the references in the literature you already own and then trace further literature in a chain reaction.

In the future, when you face problems where digital knowledge alone is insufficient, I hope you will remember and practice these analog methods of research. And I believe that acquiring the skills to use time-consuming, analog methods of research is one of the things you can only do at university.

(MY)

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