Examining The Evidence

 is the evidence telling you? Let's take a closer look...

Now that you have collected your range of evidence, it is time to get out the magnifying glass for a closer look.  There are several tools that you can use to help you filter what material is reliable and relevant.  Consider using the SIFT evaluation tool or the standard CRAAP test.

The SIFT method was created by Mike Caulfield.

SIFT stands for:

• Stop.

• Investigate the source.

• Find better coverage or other sources.

• Trace back to the original source to see quotes in their original context. 

Below are two short videos on how the CRAAP test works from the University of South Australia and Wintec

Currency: The Timeliness of the information

• • When was the information published/posted?

  • Is this time period relevant to your topic?

  • When was the information last revised?

• Are its website links current or are they broken?

Relevancy - The importance of the information to your topic

• • Does the information relate to your topic?

  • Is the information at the appropriate level for your audience/purpose?

  • Is this the best source for this information?

  • Why is this material worth including - will it add value to your work?

• Would you be comfortable citing this research in your research paper?

Authority and Accuracy (Trustworthiness & reliability of the source)

• • Can you tell who wrote it? If not, who is the sponsor, publisher or organisation behind the information?

  • Is the author an expert on this subject?

  • Are there any biases evident? i.e. political? ideological? cultural? religious? institutional? or personal biases? Is the material opinion rather than fact? 

• has the information been reviewed or refereed?

  • Does the domain name signal a reputable source eg .org; .govt; .edu

  • Can you verify the information through other sources (does it tell you where it is from?)

Purpose or Point of View

• • what is the purpose of the information source - to entertain, persuade, sell?

  • Is the author’s intention or point of view clear?

  • Is there a conflict of interest? Does the author or source stand to benefit from the information provided?

Tools for spotting fake news, images and fake websites

If you're still unsure about your sources, check out these links to help you spot fake resources.  Beware of websites ending in  .com.co  "lo" ex:Newslo

Images also need to be verified. A recent example is the a misleading photo used in the Hurricane Harvey disaster in Texas, where a fake photo of flooding at Houstone airport was picked up and circulated on social media. Use Tineye, a reverse image search engine to find out where images first appeared.

How to determine the reliability of resources

LibGuide from The Geier Library, Berkshire School, Sheffield, Massachusetts

How to spot fake news

Developed by the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA)

How to Spot Fake News - FactCheck.org

Note-taking

This is where you will extract the relevant information you require to build your research presentation. You will be processing and recording the evidence, along with the evidence trail (where you got the information from). There are many useful tools available to help you make and manage your notes eg https://evernote.com/;   https://www.diigo.com/

Use the student activities below to help you analyze your evidence