Internet has altered research methods

14:29 3rd November 2008

The internet has changed the way we look at and filter information, a leading technology consultancy has claimed.

System Concepts has suggested that the advent of the internet has increased our ability to read large volumes of information, while it has also meant that users must be "clever" when shifting through data.

The Office of National Statistics' Internet Access report revealed that 16 million households in the UK have internet access, which equates to around 65 per cent of the population.

This is an increase of one million households over 2007 and five million since 2002.

Tom Stewart, joint managing director of System Concepts, suggested that people need to accept that the internet has altered the perception of definite truth.

He said: "There was a time where you could go to the library and there would be two books on the topic, and if you were really keen you could read both those books. Nowadays, with things like the internet, there is no way you can get to the end of any of these stories."

Last month, scientists developed the smallest ever storage device, which can fit inside an atom.