1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
Your investigation only works if you can find sources that actually answer your question. Today you turn the search skills you already have into a working search log for your own investigation topic: focused queries, best results, and a clear reason each one is useful.
What you are making today
- A run of focused searches aimed at your own investigation question
- A tidy log with four things in every row: the date, the query, the best result you found, and why it is useful
- At least three strong rows in {{code:sm4_search_log}}, and five if you have the time
Warm-up
Open your Investigation Proposal if you have one. Look in {{code:Project_Portfolio}} → {{code:09_specialism}} → {{code:sm4}} (or the folder where you saved it earlier). In your head, finish this sentence: "The one question my investigation must answer is…"
If you cannot find the proposal, write one investigation question now on paper or in a notes app from Work Experience, a small enterprise idea, a club or community project, or another LCA course, and keep that question on screen. Every search you run today should serve that question, not a random curiosity.
2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins
A targeted search is not "type a few words and hope". It is a short loop: write a query that matches your investigation question, scan the results, pick the best useful source, and log it before you forget why it mattered.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Targeted query — a search phrase built from the key words in your investigation question, not a vague topic title | Vague searches waste time and fill your log with pages that never answer the question | Instead of "business Ireland", try {{code:under 25 start-up supports Ireland Local Enterprise Office}} |
| Search log — a spreadsheet that records date, query, best-result URL, and why that result is useful | SM4 KA1 needs referenced sources; a log stops you losing good links and inventing reasons later | Row in {{code:sm4_search_log}}: today's date, the query, a Citizens Information URL, "explains LEO grant eligibility in plain English" |
| Best result — the most useful source for your question, not automatically the first link | Top ranking often means popular or paid-for, not authoritative for your investigation | A Local Enterprise Office start-up supports page may beat a random blog even if it sits lower in the list |
| Refine and re-run — changing keywords, adding {{code:site:}} filters, or switching to exact-phrase quotes when the first pass is weak | One weak search is normal; five unrefined copies of the same weak search are not | First try {{code:youth business grant Ireland}}; refine to {{code:site:gov.ie youth entrepreneurship grant}} |
Worked example: sample investigation
For the step-by-step, the class will use this sample investigation question (you will switch to your own topic in independent practice):
"What supports help under-25s start a small business in Ireland?"
That question fits an enterprise-pitch Something Real project and produces naturally useful Irish sources (Local Enterprise Offices, Citizens Information, Intreo, gov.ie).
Once a useful page is open, bank it rather than trusting it to still be there next week. Four moves:
- Find a named link. Given only a description, such as the careers section or the sport page, find it and follow it. Real sites bury things under menus.
- Print the first page only. In the print dialog set the page range to 1 rather than accepting the whole document, and put your name on the printout so it is identifiable once it leaves the machine.
- Save an image from the page. Right-click the image and choose Save image as, into a named file in a named folder. This is not a screenshot: it is the actual file at its own quality.
- Save the page itself. Save page as, so it is on your own storage and still readable with the network down.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~15 mins
Build the search-log spreadsheet structure, then log two sample targeted searches for the worked-example investigation question. Your teacher will refine terms live with the class before you run your own searches.
If setup is slow, your teacher may give you a header-ready template so you can join the live searches sooner.
4 - Common Issues ~3 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Every result looks useless or off-topic | Rewrite the query from your investigation question. Add Ireland or a place name, try exact-phrase quotes around a key phrase, or add {{code:site:gov.ie}} / {{code:site:citizensinformation.ie}} to favour stronger Irish sources. |
| I keep logging the first link without reading it | Open the page, skim the heading and first screen, and only log it if it helps answer your investigation question. If it does not, keep scanning or refine the query. |
| I forgot what the query was by the time I found a good page | Copy the query into column B before you click results, or keep the search tab and the spreadsheet side by side and log as soon as you choose a URL. |
| My file is not in the {{code:sm4}} folder | In OneDrive or Google Drive, move {{code:sm4_search_log}} into {{code:Project_Portfolio}} → {{code:09_specialism}} → {{code:sm4}}. Next time, create the file from inside that folder so it lands correctly. |
5 - Quick Check: Match the Search Move ~3 mins
Pair check (about 3 minutes)
With a partner, complete the matching worksheet Match the search move to the job. Draw a line from each search move to the job it is best for. Use it as a quick check before you refine a weak query in your log.
When you finish, be ready to name one operator you will try first on your own investigation question.
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