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It is important to evaluate the quality of the websites you find to make sure they are worthy. Try the SIFT approach to website evaluation: STOP, INVESTIGATE the source, FIND better information, TRACE claims.
It is important to evaluate the quality of the websites you find to make sure they are worthy. Try the SIFT approach to website evaluation: STOP, INVESTIGATE the source, FIND better information, TRACE claims.
STOP
STOP
Take a moment to consider the source before moving forward.
Take a moment to consider the source before moving forward.
INVESTIGATE
INVESTIGATE
Is the author an expert on the topic? What organization is ultimately responsible for the website? Might that organization have ulterior motives such as to sell you something? Convince you of something? Entertain you? Use the chart below to help with your investigation.
Is the author an expert on the topic? What organization is ultimately responsible for the website? Might that organization have ulterior motives such as to sell you something? Convince you of something? Entertain you? Use the chart below to help with your investigation.
Website evaluation English version
Evaluación del sitio web versión en español
FIND better information
FIND better information
Look for other sources that cover the same topic. Is there agreement? Are there discrepancies? Seek out reputable sources to either validate or refute the information. If you are not sure whether or not a source is reputable, look it up on the web, in Wikipedia, or on the Media Bias/Fact Check website.
Look for other sources that cover the same topic. Is there agreement? Are there discrepancies? Seek out reputable sources to either validate or refute the information. If you are not sure whether or not a source is reputable, look it up on the web, in Wikipedia, or on the Media Bias/Fact Check website.
Media Bias / Fact Check Use this website to identify potential biases in news and media sources. This is an independent website, started in 2015 by Dave Van Zandt. The website aims to "educate the public on media bias and deceptive news practices."
In this age of disinformation, it is important to assess the accuracy of the information presented to you. Two sites you might use to verify information are:
Snopes is a fact checking site. Snopes uses investigative reporting to gather data and research internet rumors, with the goal of either verifying or denying the rumor. They share the source of their analysis so you can verify for yourself whether or not rumors are true or false.
Fact Check is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that focuses its analysis on political claims. Their mission is to "reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics." Use the FactCheck website to explore what US politicians are claiming to be true.
Search Smart
Search Smart
Did you know that you can control what shows up and what does not show up in the results when using Google to search the web?
Did you know that you can control what shows up and what does not show up in the results when using Google to search the web?
Use the minus sign to remove words from search results.
For example, adding -reddit will remove all results that have the word reddit anywhere on the page.
Use quotation marks around a word or phrase to force words into your results.
For example, searching "social media" will insure the phrase social media will appear next to each other on the websites in your results. Searching "teenagers" will insure that the word teenagers will appear on the websites in your results.
Use domain search to search a specific domain or even a specific website.
For example, adding site:.gov to your search insures all of your results will be from government entities. Searching site:pewresearch.org insures that all of your results will come from the Pew Research Center website.
Use filetype to search for a specific type of file. For example, adding filetype:pdf to only find PDF documents on the web.
Google Search Tips: Minus Sign
Google Search Tips: Domain Search
Google Search Tips: Quotation Marks
Consejos de búsqueda de Google para usar comillas (versión en español)
Consejos para buscar en Google usando el signo menos (versión en español)
Consejos de búsqueda de Google: Cómo usar la búsqueda de dominios (versión en español)
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