Native American Studies Research Tutorial and Tournament

What are some methods to critically evaluate online sources? 

• SIFT - The four (4) moves

Stop

Investigate the source

Find trusted coverage

Trace claims, quotes, and media back to the original context

Stop

Do you know

• the website or source of the information?
• the reputation of the claim and the website?

If you don't know, Investigate, Find trusted coverage, and Trace referenced materials back to their original source 

Investigate the source

• Use lateral reading. You may find out a lot about a website by leaving the site itself.
  • Open multiple windows and do searches for the website's
    • reviews
    • publisher or organization
    • page author
    • topics or terms you are not familiar with
• Seek and compare reports from multiple sources
  • search sources on the WVU Libraries Finding Real News page
• Fact check statements when statements are made without citing a source and seek verification from multiple sources
  • Sample fact checking sites
    • Snopes 
    • AP Fact Check
    • Google Fact Check Explorer
    • FactCheck.org
    • Politifact
• Do you know the expertise and agenda of the source?
  • Fact check like a pro with the WVU Libraries Resources for spotting fake news 

Find trusted coverage

look for

• trusted reporting or analysis on claims
• scan multiple sources to see what the expert consensus, context, and history seems to be
• check outrageous claims 

Trace claims, quotes, and media back to the original context

• are statements supported with evidence?
• does the source supply enough information to locate the reference?
• locate the source of the evidence to verify 
• if you get stuck, Ask-A-Librarian for assistance