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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 Physics

Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration

A practical guide to print and electronic sources for Grade 11 Physics

Physics research often begins with a question, not a ready-made answer. You may need to find information in a textbook, a library reference book, a journal article, a government or university website, or another electronic source. A source is a place where information is published or stored. Finding an appropriate source means choosing one that actually helps answer your question and is dependable for your purpose. This lesson focuses on how to find and judge those sources. It does not ask you to conduct an experiment or treat a simulation as measured evidence.

What you will learn

1. Start with a clear research question

Before searching, state what you need to find out. A broad topic such as “energy” can return too many results. A focused question gives your search a direction. For example, “How do solar panels convert light into electrical energy?” tells you more than “solar panels.”
A research question is the question that guides your search. It should be narrow enough to investigate with available sources, but not so narrow that no useful information can be found. Decide what kind of answer you need: a definition, an explanation, a comparison, or background information.
Break the question into its main ideas. These are your search concepts. For the solar-panel question, the concepts might be “solar panel,” “light,” and “electrical energy.” Think of related words too. “Photovoltaic cell” is a more specific term for a device that changes light into electrical energy. Trying more than one accurate term can reveal useful sources.

2. Know where to search

Print sources are published on paper. They include textbooks, encyclopedias, reference books, and printed science magazines. A school or public library catalogue can help you locate them. A catalogue is a searchable list of items held by a library. Check the title, author, subject, and publication details to see whether an item is likely to fit your question.
Electronic sources are accessed using a digital device. They include electronic books, online encyclopedias, journal articles, school library databases, and websites. A database is an organized collection of information that can be searched. Library databases can be useful because they identify publications and may offer filters for subject, date, or type of source.
A general web search can help you discover terms and possible sources. It does not automatically show that a result is accurate. Search results may include advertisements, personal opinions, outdated pages, or material written for a different audience. Treat the results as candidates to check, not as a ranked list of confirmed facts.
Choose a search place that fits the task. A course textbook may be a good starting point for a clear introductory explanation. A library database may help when you need a more detailed published article. A government, university, or established science organization may publish useful educational information online. The type of organization alone does not prove that every page is suitable, so still inspect the page itself.

3. Judge whether a source is appropriate

Relevance means how closely a source addresses your question. Read its title, description, headings, and a small part of the content. A page about the history of solar power may mention panels but may not explain how they work. It could be useful for a history question, but not for the example question about energy conversion.
Reliability means how much reason you have to trust the information. Look for the author or organization, the evidence or references provided, and the purpose of the material. Does the author have relevant knowledge? Does the page explain where its claims came from? Is it meant to teach, inform, sell, or persuade? A sales page can contain useful facts, but its purpose makes independent checking especially important.
Currency means how recent the information is. Check the publication date or the date when a page was last updated, if one is given. The necessary age depends on the question. A basic explanation may remain useful for a long time, while information about a recent technology may need a recent source. Do not reject a source only because it is older; ask whether its age matters to your topic.
Audience and level matter too. A source can be accurate but difficult to use if it assumes knowledge beyond your course. Choose information you can understand and explain in your own words. When sources disagree, compare their authors, dates, evidence, and purpose. Do not choose the claim that sounds most convenient without checking.
A suitable source is not always the most detailed source. It is one that is relevant, dependable enough for the task, current enough for the question, and understandable to you. Keep basic source details as you search: author or organization, title, publication or update date, and where you found it. These details help you return to the source and identify it later.

4. Refine the search and select sources

If a search returns too many results, make the question or search terms more specific. Add a concept such as “how it works,” “school explanation,” or the name of the device. If there are too few useful results, try a related term or remove a detail that may be unnecessarily restrictive.
Read beyond the title. A promising title can lead to a page that only mentions your topic. Check whether the content answers your question and whether its author, date, and purpose are clear. For a print item, use the contents page and index to find relevant sections. An index is an alphabetical list of subjects and the pages where they appear.
Do not rely on one search result just because it appears first. Compare more than one appropriate source when the task calls for confidence in an explanation. If both sources make a similar claim, check whether they provide reasons or point to evidence. If they differ, investigate the difference instead of hiding it.
The goal is not to collect the largest number of links or books. The goal is to find sources that fit the question and can support an accurate explanation. A short, careful search can be more useful than a long list of unchecked results.

Worked example

Example 1: Turning a broad topic into a search

You have been asked to explain how a solar panel changes light into electrical energy. Plan a focused search and choose a sensible place to begin.
  1. Clarify the information needed
    The task asks for an explanation of a process, not a general history or a list of products. Keep the central question about how the energy change occurs.
  2. Choose search concepts
    Use terms from the question and a useful related term. A search such as “solar panel light electrical energy how it works” is more focused than “energy.” You could also try “photovoltaic cell” if the first search is too broad.
  3. Choose a starting source
    Begin with a Grade 11 physics textbook, a school library database, or a suitable educational page from a university or science organization. Then check whether the source explains the process at a level you can understand.
Answer: A focused search asks how solar panels convert light into electrical energy. Begin with a relevant course or library source, then inspect suitable electronic sources.
Check: The search terms directly match the requested explanation. The selected source is only a candidate until its content and quality are checked.

Worked example

Example 2: Choosing between two pages

Two electronic pages discuss a recently introduced type of solar panel. Page A names an author, gives an update date from this year, explains its information sources, and has an educational purpose. Page B has no author or date and is on a product sales page. Which should you investigate first?
  1. Compare relevance
    Both pages may mention the technology, so inspect the content to see whether each actually answers your question. A matching title alone is not enough.
  2. Compare reliability and purpose
    Page A provides information about its author and sources and appears intended to teach. Page B is intended to sell a product and gives fewer details about who created it. This does not prove that Page A is correct, but it gives you more reasons to check it first.
  3. Compare currency
    Because the question concerns a recently introduced technology, the date matters. Page A's recent update is useful evidence of currency. You should still verify what the update covers and check another suitable source if needed.
Answer: Investigate Page A first, then verify its relevance and claims. Page B may offer a useful lead, but its sales purpose and missing source details call for caution.
Check: The choice uses relevance, reliability, purpose, and currency. It does not assume that a recent date or educational purpose guarantees accuracy.

Worked example

Example 3: Improving an unhelpful search

A search for “waves” returns results about ocean waves, sound, and light. You need a Grade 11 explanation of sound waves. What should you change?
  1. Identify why the results are broad
    The word “waves” has several meanings in science and everyday life. The results do not yet distinguish the topic you need.
  2. Add a specific concept
    Add “sound” and the kind of information you need. Search for “sound waves Grade 11 explanation,” or use “sound wave” with a question such as how sound travels.
  3. Check the revised results
    Read the page headings and content to confirm that they explain sound waves, rather than simply using the phrase. Check the author or organization, date when relevant, and purpose before relying on a result.
Answer: Narrow the search by adding “sound” and a term that describes the explanation needed. Then inspect the results for relevance and source quality.
Check: Adding a specific concept removes unrelated meanings, while checking the page prevents an exact phrase from being mistaken for a useful source.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Choosing the first result because it appears at the top.
Correction: Search position does not establish accuracy or suitability. Open the result and check its content, author or organization, purpose, and date.
Assuming that every website is unreliable or that every printed book is dependable.
Correction: Judge each source by its information, author, evidence, purpose, and fit for the question. Format alone does not settle quality.
Using only the title to decide that a source answers the question.
Correction: Read the headings and relevant content. A title may sound relevant even when the source does not explain what you need.
Rejecting every older source without considering the topic.
Correction: Check whether the age matters. Recent information is especially important for questions about changing or newly developed topics.
Collecting many links without recording where they came from.
Correction: Keep the author or organization, title, date, and location for each useful source. This helps you find it again and distinguish it from other results.

Lesson summary

Check your understanding

Question 1

You need an introductory explanation of a physics idea. Which is the best first action?
  1. Search a focused question in a course textbook or library source, then check whether the material answers it.
  2. Use the first page returned by a general web search without opening it.
  3. Choose the longest source available, even if it is written for a different audience.
  4. Search only a single broad word and assume the results are all about the same topic.
Show answer and explanation
Search a focused question in a course textbook or library source, then check whether the material answers it.
A focused search and a suitable starting source make it easier to find relevant information. The source still needs to be checked.

Question 2

A page has no author or date and is mainly trying to sell equipment. What is the most careful response?
  1. Treat it as automatically false and never inspect it.
  2. Use it as the only source because it discusses equipment.
  3. Check its content cautiously and compare its claims with a more transparent, suitable source.
  4. Assume that its claims are reliable because the page is electronic.
Show answer and explanation
Check its content cautiously and compare its claims with a more transparent, suitable source.
A sales purpose and missing details are reasons for caution, not automatic proof that every statement is false. Compare the claims with a source that provides clearer information.

Question 3

Your search for “waves” includes ocean, sound, and light results. What is the best adjustment?
  1. Keep the same search because broad results are always more accurate.
  2. Add a specific term such as “sound” and inspect the revised results.
  3. Choose a result based only on its picture.
  4. Remove all science terms from the search.
Show answer and explanation
Add a specific term such as “sound” and inspect the revised results.
Adding the needed concept narrows the search. Inspecting the results confirms that the pages actually address sound waves.

Key terms

Source
A place where information is published or stored, such as a book, database, or website.
Research question
The question that guides what information you look for.
Search concept
A main idea or term from a research question that can be used to find information.
Catalogue
A searchable list of materials held by a library.
Database
An organized collection of information that can be searched.
Relevance
How closely a source addresses the question or task.
Reliability
How much reason there is to trust a source's information.
Currency
How recent information is and whether its age matters for the question.

Continue through SPH3U

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About this lesson and its review

Published by DoAssignment. This AI-assisted lesson follows Ontario Grade 11 Physics (SPH3U), 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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