1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
Search today is two tools running side by side: traditional keyword search that returns ranked links, and AI search that writes a synthesised answer with cited sources. You need both for the research you are doing on your own investigation topic, the work you keep in your {{code:sm4}} folder, and you need to know when each one is the right tool.
Today you will practise traditional operators as a class, run one AI prompt and check its sources, then build your Search Cheatsheet in {{code:Project_Portfolio}} for your own investigation topic.
Your investigation topic should already be in the proposal you wrote earlier. If you do not have a topic yet, use one of these temporary topics today and swap later: Work Experience rights, apprenticeship entry, or local club funding.
What you will be able to do afterwards
- Use five traditional search controls: site:, filetype:, quotes, exclude (-), and the Tools date filter
- Write AI search prompts that ask for sources, and check those sources every time
- Build a Search Cheatsheet covering five operators and three checked AI prompts
Warm-up
Think about the last time you searched for something important (a course, a job, a price, a rule). Did you type a few words and click the first result, or did you narrow the search on purpose? What would change if you could force the results to come only from {{code:gov.ie}} or only as PDFs?
If your first try returns junk, that is normal. Operators exist exactly for that moment. We will tighten one weak query together before you work on your own topic.
2 - Key Concepts ~8 mins
Hold these ideas while you search. Traditional search ranks links; AI search writes an answer. Your job is the same in both cases: judge the source, not just the wording.
Which tool first? Use traditional operators when you need an official or domain-locked fact, a PDF leaflet, or an exact phrase. Use AI search for a first overview of a topic, then always open and verify the citations before anything enters your investigation.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional search operators — short codes you type into Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo to narrow results (site:, filetype:, quotes, minus, date filters) | Operators cut noise fast when you need Irish official guidance, PDFs, or exact phrases for your investigation | {{code:apprenticeship grant site:gov.ie}} or {{code:filetype:pdf "minimum wage" Ireland}} |
| Exact-phrase quotes — putting words inside quotation marks forces that exact string | Stops the engine splitting your phrase into separate keywords and returning vague matches | {{code:"Work Experience" "leaving certificate applied"}} keeps the programme name intact |
| Exclude operator (-) — a normal hyphen (not a long dash) before a word removes results containing that word | Useful when a common word drowns your topic (e.g. sport results when you want club insurance rules) | {{code:GAA insurance -fixture -score}} — type a normal hyphen, not a long dash |
| AI search — tools that return a written answer with cited links (your teacher will name the approved tool) | Speeds up a first overview of your topic, but the answer is only as good as the sources you open and check | Prompt: “What is the current standard VAT rate in Ireland for a small service business? List official sources.” Then open one cited Revenue page |
| Verify-the-citation rule — never trust an AI answer until you open at least one cited source and confirm the claim | AI tools can sound confident while inventing details; verification is your job as the investigator | — |
Worked example: one topic, two tools
Investigation topic: How much does it cost a new side-hustle tutor in Ireland to charge VAT once turnover passes the threshold?
- Traditional: {{code:VAT threshold sole trader site:revenue.ie filetype:pdf}}
- AI prompt: “What is the current VAT registration threshold for a sole trader in Ireland? Cite official sources only.”
- Verification: open the Revenue page the AI cited; if the threshold figure matches, mark held up. If not, note the gap on your cheatsheet.
- When to use which: Official Irish fact → traditional {{code:site:}} / {{code:filetype:}} first. Quick overview → AI prompt, then verify.
Cheatsheet layout you will copy
Your Search Cheatsheet uses two short tables. Study this filled sample, then rebuild it for your own topic in independent practice.
Table 1 — Traditional operators
| Operator | My query | What it found |
|---|---|---|
| {{code:site:}} | {{code:VAT threshold sole trader site:revenue.ie}} | Official Revenue pages only |
| {{code:filetype:pdf}} | {{code:VAT sole trader filetype:pdf site:revenue.ie}} | Downloadable leaflets |
| quotes | {{code:"VAT registration threshold" Ireland}} | Exact phrase kept together |
| exclude (-) | {{code:VAT sole trader -UK -Britain}} | Irish results, UK noise reduced |
| Tools → Past year | Same query, date limited | Fresher guidance only |
Table 2 — AI prompts + verify
| Prompt | Source opened | Held up / partly / failed — why |
|---|---|---|
| What is the current VAT registration threshold for a sole trader in Ireland? Cite official sources only. | revenue.ie guidance page | Held up — figure matched the page |
When-to-use note (add this line on your cheatsheet): Official Irish fact → traditional {{code:site:}} / {{code:filetype:}} first. Quick overview → AI prompt, then verify.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~18 mins
Your teacher will demo each operator on the classroom screen. After each demo, try the same query on your device, then wait for the teacher before the next operator. Everyone stays on the shared sample topic for this whole block, because queries on your own topic come later in independent practice.
You will practise three operators ({{code:site:}}, {{code:filetype:}}, quotes), then one AI prompt with a full source check. Exclude, the date filter, and further AI prompts go on your cheatsheet in the next activity.
Watch for these before you type
- Operators only work if you type them in the search box, so do not settle for the address bar alone.
- Leave a space before {{code:site:}} but none after the colon, which gives you {{code:grant site:gov.ie}}.
- Exclude needs a normal hyphen with no space after it, so {{code:-fixture}} works but a long dash does not.
4 - Common Issues ~3 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I typed {{code:site:gov.ie}} but still see random blogs | Put a space before {{code:site:}} and make sure there is no space after the colon. Example: {{code:grant site:gov.ie}} not {{code:grant site: gov.ie}} |
| The minus operator seems to do nothing | Use a normal hyphen with no space before the word you want to remove: {{code:-fixture}} not {{code:- fixture}} and not a long dash. Add the minus to every noisy word, one at a time. |
| The AI gave sources but the link is broken or unrelated | Mark that prompt as did not hold up on your cheatsheet. Try a tighter prompt that says “official Irish sources only” and open a different citation. |
| Our school blocks the AI tool I expected | Use the tool your teacher wrote on the board. The skill is prompt + verify, not the brand name of the chat box. |
5 - Independent Practice ~18 mins
Independent Practice
- {{code:sm4_search_cheatsheet}} is saved inside {{code:09_specialism/sm4/}} in your {{code:Project_Portfolio}}
- Five traditional controls each show a real query tied to your investigation topic (not the sample VAT topic unless that is genuinely your topic), including exclude and a date-filter note
- Three AI prompts each include a short held-up / partly / failed note after you opened a cited source
- A when-to-use line makes clear which tool you would reach for first for an official Irish fact versus a quick overview
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