Embedded Files
Q: Are print sources automatically credible?
A: Print sources have to pass through multiple gatekeepers in the form of editors. Most nonfiction print sources are credible sources, but pay attention to the publication date to ensure the information you are gathering is current.
DETERMINING CREDIBILITY ONLINE
The SIFT Method is a simple 4-step method to help you evaluate information that you find on the web. This method, based on fact-checking strategies, helps you to quickly make a decision about whether or not a source is worthy of your attention.
STEP ONE: STOP
The first move is the simplest. STOP reminds you of three things:
If you STOP before you start reading content, you’re able to ask yourself if you trust the website or the source of information. Don’t read it or use it until you know what it is.
Is the article provoking strong emotions? Making you extremely angry, upset, fearful or overwhelming you with cuteness? If so, beware- these are classic techniques disinformation brokers use to draw us in to less credible information. However, a little discomfort can just mean you're feeling the cognitive dissonance that can normally accompany information that doesn't jive with your worldview.
Further on, you may have to STOP again to remind yourself what your goal is. Adjust your strategy if it isn't working. Make sure you approach the problem at the right amount of depth for your purpose.
QUESTION TO ASK YOURSELF AT STOP
What kind of content is this?
How is it making me feel?
Who wrote or created it?
When was it published?
Who published it?
STEP TWO: INVESTIGATE THE SOURCE
Where is this infomation coming from? Who is publishing it? Who wrote the article? To find out, use LATERAL READING- opening another tab and finding out what the rest of the web thinks of a source or author- do not take someone's own About page as your guide.
The Wikipedia Trick-Use Wikipedia to find out about a publication or individual; although we don't use Wikipedia as a scholarly source, it does a good job for researching a source- it is the first stop for professional fact checkers. Nervous about the accuracy of Wikipedia? Here's what we know.
The Wikipedia Trick
Still not quite sure how to put this into action in your own research? Here's some more guidance.
STEP THREE: FIND MORE TRUSTED COVERAGE
If you find the quality of the source is low or it doesn’t adequately answer the questions you have, you can find more trusted coverage elsewhere.
STEP FOUR: TRACE CLAIM BACK TO ITS SOURCE
Sometimes tracing a claim back to its original source is as simply as clicking a hyperlinked medical study in the article you're reading and skimming it in its original context (or asking a librarian for help if you're struggling to find it). But what if it's harder to find?
Click on the channel name and look at the ABOUT section. Is the producer/author named? Without a name, it's hard to evaluate credibility and you should probably steer clear.
With a name, investigate the source just like you would the author/publisher of an article. Are they an expert in the content you are researching? Should we trust them?
Be ready to explain your determination to your mentor when necessary.
Note: This SIFT method guide was adapted from "Check, Please!" (Caulfield). The canonical version of this course exists at http://lessons.checkplease.cc. The text and media of this site, where possible, is released into the CC-BY, and free for reuse and revision. We ask people copying this course to leave this note intact, so that students and teachers can find their way back to the original (periodically updated) version if necessary. We also ask librarians and reporters to consider linking to the canonical version.
As the authors of the original version have not reviewed any other copy's modifications, the text of any site not arrived at through the above link should not be sourced to the original authors.
Page updated
Report abuse