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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 12 Chemistry

Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration

A practical guide to locating useful print and electronic sources

A chemistry research question can lead to thousands of search results, but not all of them will help you answer it. A clear question gives your search a purpose. A suitable source gives information that is relevant, dependable, and at the right level. In this lesson, a research source means a book, article, reference work, or website that provides information you can use. Print sources are published on paper. Electronic sources are accessed through a screen, such as an online article or digital book. The goal is not to collect the most sources. It is to find appropriate ones.

What you will learn

Choose print or electronic sources that fit a chemistry research question.
Use a library catalogue, database, or focused web search to find relevant material.
Check whether a source is trustworthy, current enough, and suitable for the task.
Use more than one source when needed and keep a clear record of what you find.

1. Start with the question and choose a source type

Before searching, make sure you understand what the task is asking. A question about the history of a chemical discovery needs different information from a question about a substance’s properties. Underline the important words in the question. These words point to the topic, the kind of information required, and any limits such as a time period or location.

A print book or reference work can be useful for an overview and for basic definitions. A chemistry textbook can help explain a course-level idea. A focused book or a journal article may provide more detail. A journal is a publication that presents articles on a particular subject. Electronic sources can include digital books, journal articles, library databases, government information, and websites from organizations with relevant expertise.

A database is an organized collection of information that can be searched. A library catalogue is a searchable list of items the library provides, including print books and electronic materials. A catalogue helps you find out what is available and where to access it. A database can help you find articles or other material on a topic. Your teacher or librarian can help you choose a suitable one.

Choose a source type that can answer your question. For a broad introduction, start with a textbook, reference work, or a reliable educational website. If you need detailed evidence about a specific topic, search for a focused article or a specialist book. A source is not automatically suitable just because it mentions chemistry. It must provide information that helps answer the particular question.

Identify the topic and limits in the question before searching.
Use books and reference works for an overview; use focused sources for detailed information.
A catalogue finds library materials; a database searches an organized collection.

2. Search with focused terms

A search term is a word or short phrase used to find information. Begin with the main subject words from your question. Add a more specific word when your first search returns too much material. For example, a search about a broad chemistry topic can be narrowed by adding the substance, property, or context named in the question.

Try more than one wording. Authors may use a technical term, a common name, or a related phrase. If a search produces very few useful results, use a broader term or a different wording. If it produces many unrelated results, use narrower terms. Read the title and short description of a result before opening it. This helps you spend time on material that is likely to fit.

Use the search options provided by a catalogue or database. You may be able to limit results by format, date, or subject. Apply limits only when they match your task. For example, a recent-source limit may make sense when the question asks about current information. It may be less useful when you are looking for an older historical account or an established reference work.

Searching is a process of adjustment, not a single attempt. Keep track of the terms that lead to useful results. If a promising source uses an unfamiliar term, check its meaning in a reliable reference source, then decide whether that term could improve your search. Do not assume that a long list of results means your search has succeeded.

Use the question’s main words, then narrow or broaden the search as needed.
Try alternate wording if the results are too few or too broad.
Use search limits only when they fit the task.

3. Judge whether a source is appropriate

A useful source passes several checks. First, check relevance: does it address the question, rather than only mentioning the topic? Next, check the author or organization. Look for a named author, publisher, institution, or organization with a clear connection to the information. If you cannot tell who created the material, be cautious about relying on it.

Check the evidence and purpose. A source that explains where its information comes from is easier to assess than one that makes claims without support. Ask why the source was created. It may be meant to teach, report, persuade, or sell. A persuasive or commercial purpose does not automatically make a source useless, but it is a reason to check its claims against another suitable source.

Check the date when time matters. Some information can change as new research or guidance becomes available. For a question about current information, prefer a source that is recent enough for the task. For historical questions, an older source may be useful because of when it was produced. The publication date alone does not prove that a source is accurate.

Also check level and clarity. A source should explain its information at a level you can understand and should use terms consistently. A highly technical source may not be appropriate for a Grade 12 task if it does not explain the ideas you need. A simplified source may also be unsuitable if it leaves out information needed to answer the question.

When two sources disagree, do not select the one that simply matches your first opinion. Compare their authors, evidence, purpose, and dates. Check whether both sources are addressing the same question. If you still cannot decide, ask your teacher or librarian for help. Use only the information you can explain and relate to your research question.

Check relevance, authorship, evidence, purpose, date, and level.
A recent date or professional appearance alone does not prove reliability.
Compare suitable sources when claims differ, and ask for help when needed.

4. Record and use the sources you find

Once you find a useful source, save enough information to locate it again. Record the author or organization, title, publication or website name, date if provided, and the page or web address. For a print book, note the publisher and the pages you used. Follow the citation format your teacher assigns. A citation is a record that identifies the source of information.

Keep notes connected to the source they came from. Write brief points in your own words and note the page or section where you found them. This makes it easier to check your understanding and to give credit accurately. If you copy exact wording for a quotation, mark it clearly as a quotation and record its location.

Do not treat a search result’s short description as the full source. Open the source and check the relevant section. Do not assume that a source is suitable because it appears near the top of a search page. Search order is not the same as quality. A strong research set may include different kinds of sources, but every source should help with the question and pass your checks.

A useful final test is to ask: Can I explain how this source helps answer my question? Can I identify who produced it and where its information comes from? Can I find it again? If not, keep searching or ask for support. Finding appropriate sources is a skill that improves when you make deliberate choices and review your results.

Record details that let you find the source again and cite it.
Keep notes linked to their sources and distinguish quotations from your own words.
Search ranking is not a measure of source quality.

Worked example

Narrowing a chemistry research search

You need sources for a Grade 12 report about how a named household substance is used and what safety information is available. Show how you would find appropriate print and electronic sources without assuming in advance what the sources will say.

Clarify the task
Separate the two needs in the question: information about use and information about safety. The substance’s name is the main search term. The words use and safety identify the kinds of information to look for. This makes the search more focused than entering a broad phrase such as chemistry.
Search more than one location
Search the school or public library catalogue for a print reference work or book that discusses the substance. Search an appropriate library database or a relevant organization’s website for electronic information. Use the substance’s name with a focused term such as uses or safety. These searches are starting points, not proof that any result is suitable.
Check the results
Open promising results and check whether each actually addresses the requested information. Identify the author or organization, look for an explanation of the information’s basis, and check the date if current safety guidance is needed. Make sure the explanation suits the report’s level. If a source does not identify its creator or does not support its claims, do not rely on it alone.
Keep and compare useful sources
Record the details needed to find each useful source again. Compare relevant information from the print and electronic sources rather than assuming either format is automatically better. If an important claim differs, check what each source actually covers and ask a teacher or librarian if the difference remains unclear.

Answer: A suitable search plan begins with the substance and the specific information needed, uses a catalogue and an appropriate electronic search, and checks each result for relevance, identifiable authorship, supporting information, date where it matters, and suitable level. The example does not assume that any particular source or finding exists.

Check: The plan matches the question, uses both print and electronic routes, evaluates results rather than trusting rankings, and does not invent research findings.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Choosing a source because it is the first result or has a professional-looking page.

Correction: Open the source and check its relevance, creator, evidence, purpose, date when relevant, and level.

Searching only one broad term and stopping when results appear.

Correction: Review the results and adjust the wording to make the search more focused or broader.

Assuming that a newer source is always better.

Correction: Decide whether date matters for the question. A current-information task and a historical task may need different sources.

Taking notes without recording where the information came from.

Correction: Keep source details and page or section locations with your notes so you can check and cite the information.

Lesson summary

Begin by identifying exactly what the research question asks.
Choose print or electronic source types that can provide the needed information.
Search using focused terms and adjust them when results are not useful.
Check relevance, creator, evidence, purpose, date when relevant, and reading level.
Record source details and keep notes connected to the material they came from.

Check your understanding

Question 1

A search returns many results that mention your topic but do not address the question. What is the best next move?

Add a more specific term from the question and review the new results.
Use the first result because it is most visible.
Assume that every result mentioning the topic is appropriate.
Stop searching because the number of results is large.

Show answer and explanation

Add a more specific term from the question and review the new results.

Adding a specific term can narrow the search. Each result still needs to be checked for relevance.

Question 2

Which detail is most useful when deciding whether to rely on an electronic source?

It appears at the top of a search page.
It has a clear creator and gives information that can be checked against the question.
It contains many pictures.
It was published recently, so no other checks are needed.

Show answer and explanation

It has a clear creator and gives information that can be checked against the question.

Identifiable authorship and information that can be checked help you judge a source. No single feature replaces the other checks.

Question 3

Why should you record source details while taking research notes?

So you can locate the source again and identify where information came from.
So you can avoid reading the source closely.
So you can treat the search-result description as the source.
So you can use a source without checking whether it fits the question.

Show answer and explanation

So you can locate the source again and identify where information came from.

Recording source details supports accurate checking, retrieval, and citation.

Key terms

Research source: A book, article, reference work, or website that provides information for a research question.
Print source: A source published on paper, such as a book or printed reference work.
Electronic source: A source accessed digitally, such as an online article, website, or digital book.
Database: An organized collection of information that can be searched.
Library catalogue: A searchable list of materials that a library provides.
Search term: A word or phrase entered to find information.
Citation: A record that identifies the source of information.

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About this lesson and its review

Published by DoAssignment. This reviewed lesson follows Ontario Grade 12 Chemistry (SCH4U), expectation A1.3. It is a study resource, not an official curriculum publication.

Before publication, content is checked for structure, mathematical or chemical notation, calculations, course boundaries, and readability. Errors can still occur, so corrections are welcomed.

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