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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 Physics

Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration

A practical lesson for SPH4U expectation A1.3

Physics research begins with a question and a suitable source. A source is a place where information is published or shared. Print sources include books, encyclopedias, and journals in paper form. Electronic sources include websites, online books, and digital journal articles. A source is appropriate when it is relevant to the question and provides information that is trustworthy and useful for the task. This lesson focuses on finding and judging sources, not on carrying out a physics investigation or reporting experimental results.

What you will learn

1. Start with a focused question

A research question tells you what information to look for. A broad question such as “How does physics work?” is difficult to search because it covers too many ideas. A focused question names a topic and the information you need. For example, “How does the design of a solar cell affect the electrical energy it can provide?” points toward a defined technology and a type of information.
Before searching, identify the key terms in your question. Key terms are the important words that describe its subject. You can also list close alternatives. A search for “solar cell” might include “photovoltaic cell,” a term often used for a device that converts light into electrical energy. Trying a few related terms can reveal useful sources that use different wording.
Use words that match your level and purpose. A school-level overview can help you understand basic terms. A more detailed report may require a technical book or a journal article. A journal article is a report published in a research journal; its detail and vocabulary may be challenging. Choose a source you can understand well enough to judge, not simply one that looks advanced.

2. Find both print and electronic sources

Print sources can include a physics textbook, a reference book, or a magazine or journal held in a library. A textbook can explain course-level concepts in an organized way. A reference book can provide a concise overview. A print journal article may contain a focused account of research, but check that its subject and level fit your question.
Electronic sources include digital books, library databases, journal websites, educational websites, and pages from organizations involved in science or technology. A database is a searchable collection of information, such as article records or full-text articles. A library catalogue is a searchable list of items held by a library, including print books and sometimes electronic books.
Search tools help you locate sources; they do not guarantee that every result is suitable. A search engine may show a useful educational page beside an advertisement, a personal opinion, or a page that is unrelated to your question. Read beyond the title and search summary. Open the source and inspect its content and publisher.
Use the format that serves your purpose. A print textbook may offer a clear explanation, while a current electronic page may provide recent information about a technology. A digital copy of a book is still a book source, even though you read it on a screen. Judge the content and its origin, not just whether it is paper or electronic.

3. Judge whether a source is appropriate

Check relevance first: does the source answer your question, or does it only mention a related topic? A page about renewable energy in general may not explain how a particular solar-cell design works. Relevant sources give information that you can use to address the question directly.
Check who is responsible for the information. An author is the person who wrote or prepared it. Look for an author, organization, publisher, or institution that can be identified. Ask whether the source shows relevant knowledge of the subject. A named author alone does not prove that every claim is correct, but an unidentified author can make a source harder to assess.
Check evidence and purpose. Evidence is information offered to support a claim, such as described observations, measurements, or references to other work. Ask whether the source explains how its claims are supported. Purpose means what the source is trying to do: explain, inform, persuade, entertain, or sell. A company page can be useful for learning what its product claims, but a sales purpose is a reason to compare its claims with an independent source.
Check currency, meaning how recently the source was published or updated. Newer information can matter for changing technologies or current research. A well-established textbook may still explain a basic physics idea clearly, even if it is not new. Decide whether the date matters for your particular question rather than rejecting every older source.
Compare important claims with another suitable source. Agreement between independent sources can increase confidence, especially when each source gives clear support. If sources disagree, do not hide the disagreement. Check what each one actually claims, when it was published, and what evidence it gives. A source is not automatically reliable because it agrees with your first search result.

4. Choose sources for a clear reason

Finding sources is a selection process. First, search with terms from the question. Next, inspect promising results. Then keep sources that are relevant, understandable, and supported well enough for the task. Set aside sources that only repeat an unsupported claim, do not address the question, or cannot be assessed because their origin is unclear.
Keep track of why each selected source is useful. For example, one source might define a physics concept, while another might describe a technology or summarize a specific piece of research. This does not mean that either source answers every part of the question. Select sources according to the information they actually provide.
A useful final check is to ask: Can I identify where this information came from? Does it address my question? Can I follow the support for its main claims? Is its purpose clear? Does its date matter here? Have I checked important information elsewhere? These questions help you choose appropriate print and electronic research sources, which is the central task of expectation A1.3.

Worked example

Choosing sources for a focused technology question

You are researching how solar cells convert light into electrical energy. You find a course physics textbook, a solar-panel company page, and an anonymous post on a discussion forum. Which sources should you inspect first, and how should you judge them?
  1. Clarify the information needed
    The question asks for an explanation of a process. The textbook may give a course-level explanation. The company page may describe a product or technology, but it may also aim to sell. The forum post has no identified author, so its claims are difficult to assess.
  2. Inspect promising sources
    Read the relevant textbook section and check its explanation and level. On the company page, identify the organization, its purpose, and the support for its claims. Do not treat the forum post as dependable just because it uses physics terms.
  3. Compare the main explanation
    Look for another appropriate source, such as a clearly identified educational or science-organization page. Compare the explanation with the textbook. Keep the company page only if its information is relevant and its claims are assessed with its purpose in mind.
Answer: Inspect the textbook first for a clear course-level explanation. Assess the company page with its possible sales purpose in mind, and compare relevant claims with an independent source. The anonymous post is a weak choice because its author and support are unclear.
Check: The decision is based on relevance, identifiable origin, purpose, and comparison—not on the electronic or print format alone.

Worked example

Finding sources about a changing topic

Your question concerns recent developments in a physics-related technology. You find an older print reference book with a clear general explanation and a recently updated electronic page from an identifiable science organization. How should you use them?
  1. Separate the information needs
    The reference book may help explain basic ideas. The electronic page may be more useful for recent developments. Neither source should be assumed to answer both needs equally well.
  2. Check dates and support
    For recent developments, check the electronic page's date, who prepared it, and how it supports its claims. For basic explanations, inspect whether the book's account is relevant and understandable. The book's age matters less if the information sought is stable and it still serves the question.
  3. Confirm important recent claims
    Search for another suitable source that addresses the same development. Compare what each source says and when it was published. If the accounts differ, examine their supporting information rather than choosing the newest one automatically.
Answer: Use the book for relevant background if its explanation is suitable. Assess the recent electronic page for its date, source, and support, then compare important claims with another suitable source.
Check: Currency matters especially for recent developments, but a newer date alone does not establish that a source is trustworthy.

Worked example

Improving an unfocused search

A search for “energy” returns results about nutrition, electricity bills, and physics. You need sources about energy transfer in a physics context. What should you do next?
  1. Narrow the search terms
    Replace the broad term with words that describe the physics topic. Include a specific context from your question, such as energy transfer in a named system or process. This makes unrelated results less likely.
  2. Use a suitable search tool
    Try a library catalogue or database for books and articles, or a general search tool for educational pages. Search tools locate possible sources; they do not judge whether a result is accurate or relevant.
  3. Screen the results
    Read the source itself. Check whether it addresses energy transfer in the intended physics context, who is responsible for it, and what supports its claims. Compare an important claim with another appropriate source before relying on it.
Answer: Use focused physics terms, search a tool suited to the source type, and inspect each promising source for relevance and support.
Check: A more specific search improves the chance of finding relevant results, but each source still needs to be assessed.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Assuming that every result near the top of a search page is a good source.
Correction: Search position helps you find a result; it does not establish its relevance or quality. Open and assess the source.
Choosing a source only because it is recent.
Correction: Check its author or organization, purpose, and support. A recent date matters most when the topic changes over time.
Rejecting all commercial sources without inspection.
Correction: A commercial source can provide useful information about its product or claims. Recognize its purpose and compare important claims with independent sources.
Treating a source's technical language as proof that it is trustworthy.
Correction: Assess who is responsible for the source and what evidence supports its claims. Technical wording alone is not enough.
Collecting many sources without checking whether they answer the question.
Correction: Keep sources for a clear reason connected to the research question.

Lesson summary

Check your understanding

Question 1

A recent page makes a claim about a physics technology but does not identify who prepared it or what supports the claim. What is the best next step?
  1. Accept it because it is recent.
  2. Compare the claim with a suitable source that identifies its origin and support.
  3. Reject every electronic source on the topic.
  4. Use the page because technical terms prove expertise.
Show answer and explanation
Compare the claim with a suitable source that identifies its origin and support.
A recent date is not enough. Check who is responsible and what supports the claim, and compare important information with another suitable source.

Question 2

You need a clear explanation of a basic course-level physics idea. Which source is a sensible place to start?
  1. A relevant physics textbook section.
  2. An anonymous post that mentions the idea.
  3. A sales page unrelated to the question.
  4. A search summary that you have not opened.
Show answer and explanation
A relevant physics textbook section.
A relevant textbook can provide an organized explanation at a suitable level. You should still check that the section addresses the question.

Question 3

What is the main reason to compare an important claim with another appropriate source?
  1. To make sure both sources use identical wording.
  2. To avoid judging the first source.
  3. To check whether the claim is supported elsewhere.
  4. To prove that the newer source is correct.
Show answer and explanation
To check whether the claim is supported elsewhere.
Comparison helps you assess whether important information is supported elsewhere. Identical wording or a newer date does not by itself establish accuracy.

Key terms

Source
A place where information is published or shared, such as a book, article, or website.
Relevance
How directly a source addresses the research question.
Evidence
Information a source gives to support a claim.
Purpose
What a source is trying to do, such as explain, inform, persuade, or sell.
Currency
How recently information was published or updated.
Database
A searchable collection of information, such as records or articles.

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About this lesson and its review

Published by DoAssignment. This AI-assisted lesson follows Ontario Grade 12 Physics (SPH4U), 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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