Email and Effective Search
How do I use email and search professionally?
- Compose a professional email
- Use advanced search operators
- Judge the quality of a source
Overview
Email is still how the world's institutions communicate — banks, universities, government. And most homework starts with a search. Doing both well is a life skill, not just an ICT one.
A good email
Clear subject line, polite greeting, one topic per email, short paragraphs, a specific request or question, a professional sign-off with your full name and school. Attach files with sensible names.
Advanced search
Use quotes for exact phrases ("cyber crime code act 2016"). Use site: to search one site (site:education.gov.pg). Use filetype:pdf to find PDFs. Use minus to exclude terms (piracy -software). Combine them.
Judging a source
Ask: Who wrote it? When? Why? Is it a .gov, .edu, a known news brand — or a random blog? Cross-check with at least one other source before quoting it.
Practise Both
- Compose a professional email to your ICT teacher requesting an extension. Include all six parts (subject, greeting, body, request, sign-off, attachment).
- Use advanced search to find one government PDF about ICT policy in PNG. Note the operators you used.
- What does site:example.com do in a search?
Reveal answer
Restricts results to pages on that site.
- Name three parts of a professional email.
Reveal answer
Subject, greeting, body, sign-off, attachment (any three).
- Give one sign of a credible source.
Reveal answer
Named author, clear date, reputable domain (any one).
Write a template email you could reuse for teacher communications and keep it in your drafts.