Research is a skill, not a search
Anyone can type a question into a search bar. The real skill is finding good information and judging whether to trust it — more important than ever now that anyone, and any AI, can publish anything that looks authoritative.
Searching effectively
Good research starts with good questions and good search habits: using specific terms, trying different phrasings, going beyond the first result, and knowing when to use a library database, a primary source, or an expert site rather than a general search.
Evaluating sources
Teach students to check a source before believing it: who wrote it and why, when it was published, and whether other reliable sources agree. The best move is lateral reading — opening new tabs to check a claim elsewhere, which is exactly what professional fact-checkers do instead of trusting a single page.
AI and information
AI tools can help research but confidently produce false facts and fake citations. Students must verify what AI tells them against real sources, understand that AI is a starting point rather than an authority, and follow their school's rules on using it honestly.
Notes and citation
Good research means tracking sources as you go and citing them properly — both an academic-honesty issue and a skill in its own right. Keeping organized notes with their sources attached prevents accidental plagiarism. See Academic Integrity.
How families can help
- Ask 'how do you know that's true?' about things they read
- Model checking claims before sharing them
- Talk about who's behind a website and why
- Treat AI answers as a starting point to verify
Related resources
See the Media & Information Literacy toolkit, digital citizenship, and Academic Integrity.
Frequently asked questions
- How do students evaluate a source? Check who wrote it and why, when it was published, and whether reliable sources agree. Opening new tabs to verify a claim (lateral reading) is the best habit.
- Can students use AI for research? As a starting point, with caution. AI often invents facts and citations, so everything it produces must be verified against real sources and used per school rules.
- What is lateral reading? Checking a claim or source by opening new tabs and seeing what other reliable sources say, rather than judging a page by how it looks. It's what fact-checkers do.
- Why does citation matter? It credits others' work, lets readers check your sources, and keeps you on the right side of academic honesty.
- How do students avoid accidental plagiarism? By tracking sources alongside notes as they research, quoting exactly, and putting ideas in their own words, so nothing gets copied by mistake.