From Query to Knowledge: Evaluating University Students' Online Searching Proficiency and Its Connection to Critical Thinking and Research Skills

ABSTRACT In today's digital age, efficiency in navigating, interpreting, and using internet‐based content is Crucial for academic achievement. This study evaluates university students' web search abilities and how they connect to their research and critical thinking capabilities. It also looks at the ways in which critical thinking and online search competency mediate each other. This research utilised a quantitative research design, collecting data from respondents through a Google Forms survey. Participation in the online survey consisted of 365 students, including 193 females and 172 males, which was distributed via email. The findings of testing hypotheses using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) revealed that critical thinking skills were significant ( p = 0.003), although internet search proficiency had an insignificant influence ( p = 0.538). Differences in search proficiency also impacted students' critical thinking, research, and internet search skills. The study also discovered that these skills were adversely affected by barriers to search proficiency. Furthermore, there were substantial direct correlations between the mediating effects of critical thinking and the ability to perform effective online searches. This study contributes noteworthy implications for improving students' digital literacy via a novel analytical approach, the interplay between search competence, critical thinking, and research skills. Through examining the interrelationship among these core competencies, this investigation reveals opportunities to apply targeted instructional approaches that can encourage more strategic and effective digital information‐gathering and strengthen students' overall academic performance.