Finding a source you can defend
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| keywords/ˈkiːwɜːdz/ | Words or phrases that identify important ideas or help locate relevant information. |
| operators/ˈɒpəreɪtəz/ | Symbols or keywords specifying operations to perform on values or expressions. |
| authority/əˈθɒrɪti/ | A source's relevant expertise and responsibility for the information it provides. |
| currency/ˈkʌrənsi/ | The extent to which information is recent, up to date and suitable for present use. |
| bias/ˈbaɪəs/ | A systematic preference or prejudice that can distort judgement, decisions or the representation of information. |
| primary source/ˈpraɪməri sɔːs/ | Original evidence or a direct record of an event, observation or investigation rather than a later account of it. |
| secondary source/ˈsekəndəri sɔːs/ | A source that analyses, interprets or summarises information obtained from original or primary sources. |
Two headlines, two different claims
- One page says an electric car has no exhaust emissions; another discusses emissions from making its battery. They answer different questions.
- Before choosing a source, write the claim you need to check: total lifecycle emissions, for a stated vehicle, place and period.
A top-ranked search result is guaranteed to be accurate.
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Ranking is not a guarantee of accuracy. Open the page and inspect the evidence.
Turn the claim into a search
- Choose keywords 关键词 for the object, measure and comparison:
electric vehicle lifecycle emissions petrol comparison. Try everyday words too if specialist words miss useful pages. - Operators 运算符 narrow Google searches: quotes request an exact phrase,
-wordexcludes a term, andsite:example.orgrestricts a domain. Do not put a space aftersite:.
A domain filter changes where you search, not whether a claim is true. A government, university or charity page still needs a check of its method and relevance.
You need evidence comparing total emissions over a vehicle lifetime. Which query best matches that claim?
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Lifecycle and comparison specify the measure and comparison. Search terms help find candidates; they do not verify them.
Complete the Google domain filter: ____example.org
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Use site: directly before the domain, without a space.
Open the page and test its fit
- Read beyond the search snippet. Check the publication date, location, vehicle type and what the emissions measure includes.
- Authority 权威性 concerns relevant expertise; currency 时效性 concerns whether the evidence is recent enough for this claim. Newer is not automatically better.
Match the source check to its purpose.
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Each check answers a different question. Reputation alone does not establish fit.
Follow the evidence, including its limits
- Bias 偏见 can arise from funding, selection or wording. Identify interests and compare independent evidence; funding alone does not prove the result is false.
- A primary source 一手资料 reports original evidence; a secondary source 二手资料 interprets it. Read the original for its methods when possible, and use a reliable review to understand several studies.
A fictional report compares two cars over 150,000 km using one electricity mix. It supports a comparison under those assumptions. It does not prove that every electric car in every country has the same result.
A news story links to a study. You need to check the study method. What should you do first?
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The original is the first place to check how its data was collected. A review can still help compare studies.
A report models two cars over 150,000 km using one electricity mix. Which are justified? Select all that apply.
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Conditions define what a comparison supports. Neither universal claims nor automatic rejection from funding are justified.
Make a note you can trace
- Record author or organisation, title, date, URL and the page or table used. Follow the citation style your task requires.
- Mark copied words as a quotation immediately. A paraphrase changes the wording and structure but still cites the source of the idea.
A paraphrase of a study finding still needs a citation.
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Changing wording does not change where the idea came from.
Build a defensible conclusion
- Compare sources on the same measure before deciding they disagree. Explain the conditions and any unresolved evidence gap.
- For your own task, keep a source log with one supported claim, its evidence location and one limitation for each source.
Search → check fit → inspect evidence → record the source → state a limited conclusion. Ranking and domain names are clues, not guarantees.
Further guidance: Google search operators.
One source measures exhaust emissions; another measures production plus use. What resolves the apparent disagreement?
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These are different measures. Align what is counted before comparing the findings.