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A1.3 · Find appropriate print and electronic research sources

Learn to find appropriate print and electronic research sources through clear examples and targeted practice.

Ontario Grade 11 Chemistry

Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration

A practical guide to locating useful print and electronic information

A chemistry question can lead to a shelf of books, a library search page, or thousands of web results. More results do not automatically mean better research. The goal is to find sources that answer the question and are suitable for the task. A print source is read on paper, such as a textbook or reference book. An electronic source is accessed on a screen, such as an online article or a digital book. Both formats can be useful, and both need to be checked before you rely on them.

What you will learn

Turn a chemistry research question into useful search terms.
Locate print and electronic sources using appropriate tools.
Judge whether a source is relevant and suitable for a school research task.
Record enough source details to find the information again.

1. Start with the question and its key words

Before searching, read the research question carefully. Identify its main topic and what you need to find out. For example, a question may ask how a particular material is used in water treatment. The topic is the material, and the focus is its use in water treatment.

Search terms are the important words and short phrases that describe a topic. Use the most specific terms in your question. A search for a precise material name and “water treatment” is more focused than a search for “chemistry.” If the first search gives few useful results, try a related term or a broader phrase.

A search tool is a service that helps you find information. A library catalogue lists items held by a library, including print books and sometimes electronic books. A database is an organized collection of information that can be searched, such as articles or reference entries. A web search engine searches pages available on the web. These tools do not all search the same material.

Break the question into its topic and focus.
Use specific search terms first; adjust them if needed.
Choose a tool that can find the type of source you need.

2. Search for print and electronic sources

For print sources, begin with a school or public library catalogue. Search by topic, title, or author. Check the catalogue record for the book’s title, author, publication information, and location. A call number is a code that helps locate a book on the library shelves. If a book is not on the shelf, ask library staff whether another copy or a related source is available.

For electronic sources, try a school library page, a library database, or a reputable organization’s website. A digital book or article can be read on a screen, but it is still important to check what kind of source it is. A search result’s title alone does not show whether the page contains useful evidence.

Use search filters when they help. A filter can narrow results by features such as format or publication date. Do not use a filter just to make the list shorter if it removes sources that could answer the question. Open a promising result and check its contents before deciding it is useful.

Use a library catalogue to locate print books and available digital books.
Use library databases or suitable organization websites for electronic information.
Check the actual source, not only its search-result title.

3. Decide whether a source is appropriate

An appropriate source fits the research question and the level of the task. Relevance means how closely the source connects to what you are trying to find out. Read the title, introduction, headings, or summary to see whether the source addresses the question rather than only mentioning the topic.

Check who created the source. The author or organization should have a clear identity. Authority means the creator has a reasonable basis for providing this information, such as relevant knowledge or responsibility for the material. A named author and an organization’s “About” information can help you judge this. A professional-looking page by itself does not prove that the information is dependable.

Check when the source was published or updated. Currency means how recent the information is. Recent information may matter for a topic that changes over time. For basic background, an older book may still be useful. Consider the task and the source’s subject rather than rejecting every older source.

Consider the source’s purpose. A source may aim to explain, report, teach, persuade, or sell. Purpose can affect what information it includes. Ask whether it gives information that helps answer your question and whether its claims are supported. If a source is unclear, strongly one-sided, or does not explain where its information comes from, look for another source to compare.

A source can be useful without answering every part of a question. You may need more than one source. Comparing sources can show whether they address different parts of the topic or offer information that needs further checking.

Check relevance, creator, publication or update date, and purpose.
Match the source to the question and the school-level task.
Use another source when important information is unclear or unsupported.

4. Keep a record while you search

Record useful source details as soon as you find a source. For a book, note its title, author, publication date, and publisher if available. For an electronic source, note its title, author or organization, publication or update date if shown, and the page address. A page address, also called a URL, identifies a location on the web.

These details help you return to the source and show where your information came from. Follow the format your teacher requests for presenting sources. If a detail is not provided, do not invent it; record the details that are available.

A simple search log can also help. A search log is a record of the terms and tools you tried and which results were useful. It helps you avoid repeating searches and makes it easier to improve your search terms.

Record source details when you find a useful item.
Do not guess missing publication information.
Keep track of search terms and useful results.

Worked example

Choosing sources for a focused question

A student must find information about how activated carbon is used in water treatment. The student finds a library book titled Water Treatment Basics, a web page from an organization that explains water treatment, and a personal blog post with no named author or references. Which sources should the student examine first, and what should the student check?

Identify the search focus
The question is not about water treatment in general. It asks about one material and a specific use. The student should search with both ideas so the results are more likely to fit.
Choose promising results
The book title suggests useful background, and the organization’s page may address the topic directly. The student should open both and check their contents. The blog is not automatically false, but its missing author and references make it harder to judge, so it should not be the first source relied on.
Check suitability
For each promising source, the student should check whether it actually explains the material’s use in water treatment, who produced it, when it was published or updated, and what purpose it serves. If a key claim is unclear, the student should compare it with another suitable source.
Record details
The student should record the book’s title, author, and publication details, and the web page’s title, organization, date if shown, and page address. The student should follow the teacher’s requested format.

Answer: Examine the library book and the organization’s page first, then check their relevance, creator, date, and purpose. Treat the blog cautiously because its author and supporting references are not clear.

Check: A source is not suitable just because its title contains the right topic. Its actual content and creator must also be checked.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Choosing the first search result without opening it.

Correction: Open the source and check whether it answers the research question.

Assuming every online source is unreliable or every printed book is reliable.

Correction: Judge each source by its relevance, creator, date, and purpose, regardless of format.

Searching only a broad word such as “chemistry.”

Correction: Use the specific topic and focus from the question, then adjust the terms if the results are not useful.

Recording only a web address or book title.

Correction: Record the available details that identify the source and help you find it again.

Lesson summary

Break the research question into a topic and a focus.
Use library catalogues, databases, and web search tools according to the source type you need.
Check a source’s relevance, creator, date, and purpose.
Record source details and search terms as you work.

Check your understanding

Question 1

You need information about one specific material used in water treatment. Which search is the best starting point?

chemistry
water
the material’s name and “water treatment”
interesting science facts

Show answer and explanation

the material’s name and “water treatment”

The material’s name and the research focus make the search more specific and more likely to find relevant sources.

Question 2

A web page has a suitable title, but no clear author or organization. What is the best next step?

Rely on it because the title matches.
Check the page for its creator and supporting information, then compare with another source.
Assume it is correct because it is online.
Use it without recording its details.

Show answer and explanation

Check the page for its creator and supporting information, then compare with another source.

A matching title is not enough. Checking the creator and support for claims, and comparing another source, helps judge whether the page is suitable.

Question 3

What is a library catalogue mainly used for?

Listing materials held by a library
Proving that every search result is accurate
Replacing the need to read a source
Showing only personal opinions

Show answer and explanation

Listing materials held by a library

A library catalogue helps users find items held by a library, including print and sometimes electronic materials.

Key terms

Appropriate source: A source that fits the research question and is suitable for the task.
Database: An organized collection of information that can be searched.
Relevance: How closely information connects to the question being researched.
Authority: The reason a creator may be a suitable source of information.
Currency: How recent the information is.
Search log: A record of search terms, tools, and useful results.

Continue through SCH3U

View the complete SCH3U Ontario Grade 11 Chemistry curriculum and lessons

About this lesson and its review

Published by DoAssignment. This AI-assisted lesson follows Ontario Grade 11 Chemistry (SCH3U), expectation A1.3. It is a study resource, not an official curriculum publication.

Before publication, the draft is checked for structure, mathematical or chemical notation, calculations, course boundaries, and readability, and then requires administrator approval. Errors can still occur, so corrections are welcomed.

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