LibGuides: SIFT: Evaluating Sources: Evaluating Sources Online

Activity

Think, Check, Submit: Journals
The checklist is a tool that will help you discover what you need to know when assessing whether or not a publisher is suitable for your research.

FactCheck
A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center that focuses on clarifying political claims.
Snopes
A website that checks claims, myths, rumors and misinformation in order to provide accurate information on a variety of topics.
Politifact
A fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter.
AP Fast Check
The Associated Press website fact checks current news stories when a false story or questionable claim gains traction online.
AllSides
AllSides provides multiple different views of the same story which allows for a much rounder picture of the subject. Instead of just news from the right or left, AllSides covers every side, including the middle.
Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart
This Interactive Media Bias Chart® (or “IMBC”) is a data visualization that displays both bias and reliability ratings for news (and “news-like”) content

Do a quick Google search and check the Wikipedia page for more information about the source. Ask yourself these questions:
- What is the source exactly? Is it a news article, blog post, government report, etc.?
- Who wrote or created this source?
- Who published this source?
- What is the purpose of publishing this source? To inform? To entertain? To make you feel feelings?
Go beyond the 'About Us' section.
Remember you aren't doing extensive research; this should only take 1-2 minutes.

Is other coverage similar?
Can you find a better source? A more trusted source?
- An article from a database or trusted website?
- A source that goes more in-depth?
Do expert sources (from library databases & reliable websites) agree with coverage?
Look beyond the first few results in Google search.
Use fact checkers to check facts & claims.

When an online article references a quote from an expert or results from a research study, locate the original source of information.
- Good websites make it easy to find the original source of information through clickable links, a bibliography, or a reference list.
Be wary of sources that make it hard to find the original source or link to unreliable sources.
Be especially wary if the claim, quote, or media is:
- Unfairly represented
- Being cherry-picked to support an agenda or bias
- Being taken out of context
Headlines, blog posts, and unreliable news sites may sensationalize facts to get more attention or clicks.
Re-reporting may omit, misinterpret, or select specific facts to support biased claims.
Important facts and contextual information may be omitted if the claim is used from a source who took it from another source.

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