In Lesson 36 you framed a research question and listed keyword phrases. In Lesson 37 you met the six-criteria Website Analysis Template. Today you put them to work.
If you do not have your research question and keywords from Lesson 36, write a specific answerable question and three keyword phrases now before you search. Example question: What are the entry requirements for a plumbing apprenticeship in Ireland? Sample keywords: plumbing apprenticeship Ireland entry requirements; SOLAS plumber training; ETB pre-apprenticeship course.
You will search, shortlist a few promising sites, and complete the Website Analysis Template for Site 1 fully, then start Site 2 if time allows. That pack is Part 1 of your M2 KA1 working pack: preparation only. KA1 is lodged in the next lesson when the remaining sites and the synthesis note (a short write-up that pulls your sources together) are done.
Three ideas you need before you open a browser:
| Term | What it means for you | Real example |
|---|---|---|
| Search strategy | A plan for keywords and filters, not one lucky guess. You change the words and try again when results are thin. | Adding “Ireland” and “this year” to cut out US pages and old advice |
| Source shortlist | Three or four sites worth a full look. You set weak results aside early so analysis time is not wasted. | SOLAS apprenticeship page + ETB college course page, not a 2016 forum thread |
| Analysis template | The six criteria: authenticity, authorship, bias, objectivity, accuracy, purpose. Every site gets the same six checks with one-sentence evidence each. | Authorship: “Named training officer and contact email on the About section” |
Search tools: quotes keep a phrase together (“plumbing apprenticeship”); OR tries two words at once (plumber OR plumbing); site:.ie keeps you on Irish sites; the date filter in your search engine’s tools shows only recent results.
Worked example: a student researching how to start an apprenticeship as a plumber in Ireland searches that full phrase, opens the first five results, keeps a SOLAS page and a further-education college page, and leaves out a sales page with no author and a forum post from 2016. The shortlist is two keepers, not five random tabs.
Practise the first pass on results you might meet. For each one, weigh the tells, pick a verdict, then read the reasoning. You will use the same eye on your own search in a few minutes.
Before you fill your own templates, judge the quality of someone else’s evidence. Read the sample analysis below, then work down the rubric. Anything below the top level needs a specific comment.
Sample: Website Analysis Template (practice fill)
Site: a college course page about a media course
Authenticity: “Seems real.”
Authorship: “There is a logo at the top.”
Bias: “No bias.”
Objectivity: “It just gives facts about the course.”
Accuracy: “Looks fine.”
Purpose: “To tell you about the course so you might apply.”
Some rows are thin. Your job is to say which ones, and what stronger evidence would look like. You will apply the same standard to your own Site 1 in the next step.
Search with your keyword phrases in a new tab, then build Part 1 of the KA1 pack.
In-class priority:
Six criteria if you need them: authenticity, authorship, bias, objectivity, accuracy, and purpose. Write one checkable sentence per row (names, dates, page sections or links), not “seems fine”.
This pack is preparation only. KA1 is lodged next lesson when the remaining sites and the synthesis note (a short write-up that pulls your sources together) are done. An incomplete-but-started pack still matters.
Write the pack in the activity below, then copy it into your Communication Portfolio as m2_l38_ka1_working_pack_part1_<your-initials>.
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