Analyzing Resources using SIFT

What do you do when you want check a resources for authenticity and accuracy? Well, fact checkers uses what's called the SIFT method. Developed by Mike Caulfield, it's a system that is meant to get researchers considering the legitimacy of information.  

STEP ONE: STOP.  It's time to stop and think about the website. Before you share it, spread it, cite it, or even believe it, stop and think about the resource. Consider if it seems likely. Any hesitation--even the slightest bit!--merits investigation. 

STEP TWO: INVESTIGATE.  Time to investigate the resource itself--who wrote it, made it, and published it? These questions will make you think about any biases or problems with the source. Open a new tab (this is called Lateral Research) and head to Wikipedia to see if you can fund out more. If nothing at Wikipedia, Google the publication. For example, a website about healty eating says that organic farming is bad for the environment, but as you dig into the website, you might find out that the website is sponsored by a multinational corporation that has been in the court for unhealthy food production, water wasting, and pesticides that have gotten in the drinking water.  Problematic?  Yes, yes it is.