Searching for a Source
A student must write a short report on the health effects of screen time on teenagers. She searches: 'screen time bad'. The top results are a news article from 2016, a parenting blog with no author, and a supplement company's page selling 'digital detox' pills. She needs at least three credible sources and must cite them. She has 90 minutes and access to her college library's online database.
1. Explain why her current search and results are inadequate, and rewrite the search to be more effective.
Read the worked answer
Why inadequate:
- The query
screen time badis vague and assumes the conclusion, which biases results toward opinion rather than evidence. - Results are ranked partly by popularity and engagement, not credibility - a supplement seller has an obvious commercial motive to claim harm.
- The blog has no named author, so it cannot be assessed or cited reliably.
- A 2016 news article may be outdated for a fast-moving topic and is a secondary summary, not primary evidence.
Better search:
- Use specific, neutral terms:
adolescent screen time mental health systematic revieworteenagers screen use wellbeing peer-reviewed study. - Add source-type and date qualifiers:
site:.eduorsite:.gov, or restrict to the last 5 years. - Use the library database (e.g. a scholarly index) rather than general web search, and filter to peer-reviewed articles.
This targets evidence rather than marketing.
2. She finds a promising article. Describe how she should judge whether it is credible enough to cite, and give at least four criteria.
Read the worked answer
Assess the source against recognised criteria (e.g. authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, purpose):
- Author / authority - named authors with relevant qualifications or institutional affiliation; published in a recognised journal or by a reputable body.
- Peer review / provenance - was it peer-reviewed? Is there a cited reference list she could follow?
- Currency - publication date is recent enough for the topic (e.g. last ~5 years), and she notes the date.
- Objectivity / purpose - is it written to inform, or to sell something or push an agenda? Check for conflicts of interest or funding.
- Evidence and method - does it describe its sample and method, and do its claims follow from the data rather than assertion?
- Corroboration - do other independent credible sources agree?
If most criteria are met, it is citable; she should record author, year, title and source for the reference list.