The search phrase is a combination of words that you type into the search field that tells the computer what to look for.  You should list at least five to ten different words or phrases that will help the computer understand what you’re looking for.  For example, my search phrase list for Ritalin might be:

            Ritalin
            United States
            ADD
            Benefits
            Risks
            Children
            Alternatives
            ADHD
            Statistics
            Prescription
            Side effects

I will use these words in various combinations to get answers to my questions.  For the question of how Ritalin treats children with ADD, I type in the following search phrase:  Children, Ritalin, ADD, treatment.  The computer will search for articles and websites with these four subjects mentioned somewhere in them.  For the question of how Ritalin affects the body I might type:  Ritalin, children, physical, effects.  Your computer will offer a list of articles that contain the words in your search phrase.  Read the summary for each article or site, and try to evaluate it.  Is it worth a second look?

With so much available, it will be necessary to be able to quickly evaluate sources.  Each type of source has its own method for evaluation.  Common sense can tell you a little about whether you want to further research a source.  For those sources that seem promising, you can perform a secondary evaluation.  The author, title, subtitle, year of publication, tables of content, indices, tables, illustrations, graphics or photographs, chapter headings, periodical titles and summaries (sometimes called “abstracts”) will all give you a quick look at what the whole text will contain.  Check for the following
 

1.  Currency – how current is the information?  Is your subject one that needs up-to-date information, or has most of the research been established for some time?

2. Authority – who is the author?  If you don’t know the author, who is responsible for the information?  What reasons might you have for trusting or not trusting the person or people responsible?

3. Accuracy:  Is the info reliable and error free?  When in doubt, check it out.  If something seems off to you, you can try to find another source to corroborate the information.  Usually sources such as books and periodicals are more trustworthy than online sources, because an editor checks them.  Often, there is no accountability for on-line sources; anyone can publish anything.  If you’re dealing with an online source, you should be more critcal than usual.

4. Objectivity:  How objective is the source?  Does it display any biases?  What are they selling, and to whom?  The source could be selling ideas or ideology, as well as goods and/or services.  You don’t need to automatically reject a source simply because it’s biased.  A biased viewpoint can help you see one side of the issue in depth.  However, you must acknowledge that a biased source may be subject to flaws in logic, and treat it accordingly.

5. Coverage:  What does the source cover?  Is it specific to your idea?  Will it be helpful to you, or are there other sources that would be more helpful?

6. URL:  Uniform Resource Locator (web address) will tell you something about where the source originated. Here are a few of the major types of website: