Searching the Internet Using Keywords
Create essential questions based on your topic
Brainstorm keywords related to your questions
Think of synonyms and related words to your keywords
Keyword variations will change your results, so try lots of different combinations!
Use important keywords and phrases related to your topic
Changing your search terms can narrow (make more specific) or broaden (make more general) your results
Use quotation marks " " to find more exact results
Use OR to find results for two similar terms
Use the hyphen or minus -- symbol to remove a term from your search
Use the site: to search within a specific website for a search term
How to Identify Articles that Need Fact-Checking
Look for false content - search the claims and evidence to find other websites to fact-check
Check the source of the claim - is the person an expert? is the organization that created the website a credible source?
Separate fact from opinion - is it biased? does it present only one side of the issue?
Look at how the story is being told - is it trying to play on your emotions?
Use fact-checking tools - try adding "fact check" at the end of your search
What elements help you decide if a website is a reliable source of information?
Don't be fooled by the "slick" look of the website. Read closely and identify facts and details that you can search on the internet to find additional websites to verify. This skill is called Lateral Reading.
Stop - pause and look for details that need to be verified
Investigate - use lateral reading to find additional websites about those details
Find better coverage - look for other reliable sources of information
Trace claims - follow the clues to go back to the original source
Spider programs help create a search index with possible results based on your search terms
Ranking algorithms guess what results are most valuable to you
Beware of spammers and unreliable sources
Machine learning AI uses algorithms to understand your search terms
