Q1:L3 - Contextualized Online Search and Research Skills

• Text Online navigation becomes a great match to the prevailing use and popularity of the smartphone age. Search engines also provide a system of giving the best and most appropriate results. Mobile phone application has been added to smartphones for quick, handy research and quicker school assignments. In this lesson, you are expected to use the Internet as a tool to gather specific information and depending on a given situation

• In an era where information is as accessible as it is abundant, mastering the art of contextualized online search and research has become a crucial skill. With vast amounts of data available at our fingertips, knowing how to effectively locate, evaluate, and utilize information is essential for academic success, professional development, and informed decision-making.

Online Searching

• Also called as “Internet searching”. - It is the term to describe the method of collection of information from the internet 

• It is the term to describe the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new and significant conclusions.

• Contextualized online search and research skills involve more than just entering keywords into a search engine. They require a strategic approach to ensure that the information gathered is relevant, reliable, and applicable to the specific context of your inquiry. This means understanding how to refine your search queries, critically assess the quality of sources, and synthesize information to address particular needs or questions.

Contextualized Online Searching

• It is a form of optimizing web-based search results based on the context provided by the user. 

• It attempts to increase the precision of results based on how valuable they are to the individual users. 

CONTEXTUALIZED ONLINE SEARCHING VS RESEARCH SKILLS

• Contextualized Online Search Skills are about optimizing how you search for information online. They focus on efficiently finding relevant data using search engines and tools.

• Research Skills encompass the broader process of information gathering, evaluation, and synthesis. They involve not only finding information but also critically analyzing and applying it to build a well-rounded understanding.

Search Engines

Search engines are software systems that are designed to search for information on the World Wide Web. The search results are generally presented in a line of results often referred to as search engine results pages. Examples of Search Engines are Baidu, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo and the most recognized engine Google. Google is the most known and most used search engine in the world. According to Net Market Share, 74. 54 percent of the Search Engine Market has been acquired by Google.

List of the 10 Best Search Engines in 2024. Ranked by Popularity:

Google

Microsoft Bing

Yahoo

Baidu

Yandex

DuckDuckGo

Ask.com

Ecosia

Aol.com

Internet Archive

Imagine you are planning a vacation to Japan and are particularly interested in experiencing traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. You have a question in mind: "What are the best places to experience an authentic Japanese tea ceremony in Kyoto?"

Steps Based on the Advice:

• Have a Question in Mind: Your curiosity about experiencing traditional Japanese tea ceremonies in Kyoto prompts you to search for detailed information about this cultural activity.

• Search for and Look for Credible Information: You use search engines to find reputable sources, such as travel guides, tourism websites, and reviews from travelers who have attended tea ceremonies in Kyoto.

• Determine What to Search: You refine your search query to be specific: “Best tea ceremonies Kyoto 2025” or “Authentic Japanese tea ceremony experiences Kyoto.”

• Focus on Credible Websites: You choose sources like well-reviewed travel blogs, official tourism websites for Kyoto, and high-rated TripAdvisor reviews to ensure the information is reliable.

• Be More Specific: You look for details such as the locations of tea ceremonies, the history and authenticity of the ceremonies, and any recommendations from previous participants.

• Cite Your Sources: Once you gather information, you make sure to note down the websites and resources where you found your details so you can refer back to them or share them with others.

STEPS IN ONLINE NAVIGATION

Research Skills 

• In order to achieve or access what you are looking for, you need to improve yourself. As the old saying goes, “Practice Makes Perfect”. Good research is a product of multiple and continuous searches, here are some skills you can improve or adapt to:

• 1. Critical Thinking – As you search through the web, you must think very carefully about the information that you have gathered. Critical thinking involves the ability to reflect on the information presented to you.

• 2. Data Organizing – A good researcher can organize his/her collected data. As you collect those data, be sure to track where specific information is gathered.

• 3. Research Presenting – Part of your research is the actual writing, be creative and reflective in writing your search, explain every detail and step into achieving your objective.

Research skill refers to the ability to search for, locate, extract, organize, evaluate and use or present information that is relevant to a topic. These skills collectively will help you to find answers to a question or solutions to a problem.

Remember that not all searches are good ones, some are considered as satirical or untrue. Here are some tips in identifying good searches from satirical searches.

• If the contents of the source are too impossible to happen, or too good to be true, then there must be something wrong.

• If the site started as a false site for public figures such as TV personalities or political figures, then uploaded stories from different sources, it is a satirical one.

• If the site is unfamiliar and continuously popping ads, then it is satirical.

EXAMPLES OF SATIRICAL NEWS

• The 2 years in K-12 Curriculum for Senior High School has been removed.

• President Duterte resigned as the leader of the Philippine nation.

• You can win 1 million pesos just by answering a given survey form.

• A certain actress/actor is alleged as pregnant being in another country for a long time.

TIPS IN IMPROVING ONLINE RESEARCH SKILLS

• Proper Use of Online Search Engine & Learning Tools

• Analyze the Credibility of Your Source Anybody can publish their work or opinions on the internet. While you should not limit your research to a couple of articles, you should discern the source’s credibility. You can assess and analyze the credibility by always remaining vigilant.

• Cross-Check Your Information You now know where to and how to collect information from credible sources. Cross-checking the information you collected is integral in enhancing your research skills. You should not get stuck on just one webpage. Stick to sources that have made their reputation providing quality information.

NARROWING SEARCHES THROUGH SPECIAL OPERATORS AND ADVANCED SEARCH

1. – (Negative Symbol): adding it before a word will tell Google to ignore pages that use that word prominently.

2. “” (Quotation Marks): When you surround your search terms with quotation marks, you are telling Google that the words must appear as an exact phrase.

3. .. (Two Periods): this operator means ‘between’, and is used in the context of numbers.

4. * (Asterisk): the asterisk symbol means is translated as ‘wildcard’. Wildcards are placeholders, which can be replaced by any word or phrase. This can be useful if you’ve forgotten parts of a word or phrase.

5. Searching “define:” with a colon and your word in question will return the definition of the word you’re looking for.

6. The Advanced Search feature of the Google can be used also to narrow the results of the search.

PLAGIARISM

• An act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization; the representation of that author’s work as one’s own, as by not crediting the original.

• Using other people’s words and ideas without clearly acknowledging the source of the information.

HOW TO AVOID PLAGIARISM

• You need to cite the things you copy on the internet. 

• Put quotation marks around everything that comes directly from the text and cite the source. 

• Paraphrase, but be sure that you are not simply rearranging or replacing a few words and cite the source.

• Use the style manual in properly citing sources.