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COMM 381: Social Science Theory in Communication (Boone)

Resource guide for COMM 381 examining the rise of the social sciences and reviewing contemporary social science theories and perspectives in communication.

Fact Checking Strategies

Trying to figure out if something you see on the Internet is quality or not? Try: 

The SIFT Method

  1. Stop
    1. Do you recognize the website?
    2. What was your purpose in getting to this webpage?
  2. Investigate the Source
    1. Where’s the content from? Webpage, webpage’s other coverage, author, author’s affiliation, etc.
    2. Is the caption misleading?
  3. Find Better Coverage
    1. Can you find a more trusted source for the same information?
    2. Is there a consensus for the information provided?
  4. Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media to the Original Context
    1. Can you trace back the information to its original source?
    2. Whose research/reporting is this article written on?

 

For more information about the SIFT method you can read the free, short ebook: Web Literacy for Student Fact Checkers by Mike Caulfield (Washington State University).

The CRAAP test is a basic set of evaluation criteria and questions that you can apply to any source that you find.  CRAAP is an acronym for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose.

Currency: the timeliness of the information.

  • When was the information published or posted?
  • Has the information been revised or updated?
  • Is the information current or outdated for your topic?
  • Are the links still functional and up to date?   

Relevance: the importance of the information for your needs.

  • Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
  • Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?

Authority: the source of the information.

  • Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
  • Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?  If so, what are they?
  • What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
  • Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
  • Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?
    •  examples:
      • .com (commercial)
      • .edu (educational)
      • .gov (U.S. government)
      • .org (nonprofit organization)
      • .net (network)

Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content.

  • Where does the information come from?
  • Is the information supported by evidence?
  • Has the information been peer-reviewed or refereed?
  • Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
  • Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
  • Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?

Purpose: the reason the information exists.

  • What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
  • Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
  • Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?
  • Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
  • Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?

Lateral reading helps you determine an author's credibility, intent, and biases by searching for articles on the same topic by other writers (to see how they are covering it) and for other articles by the author or organization that you're checking on. This is one of the strongest tools in your fact checking toolkit. Ideally lateral reading is an essential part of both the CRAAP test (notably the "Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?" question under the "Accuracy" criteria) and SIFT method (essentially Step 3's "Is there a consensus for the information provided?"), but it might help to understand this as a strategy of its own.

You can learn more about this strategy using the library's Lateral Reading Tutorial.