Stop: Take 60 seconds - ask yourself whether you know and trust the origin/author/source.
Who created it?
Who is the author?
When was it created?
When was it published?
Where was it published?
Who is publishing it?
If you have questions about the credibility of the source, you can move to Investigate or you can discard the source and Find Better Coverage, then start the process of SIFT again.
"You want to know what you’re reading before you read it."
Determine the purpose.
Audience
Motivation
Bias & Credibility - Click here for some tools to practice and strengthen your fact checking skills!
Intent
Why this format?
What are the main ideas?
“know the expertise and agenda/motivation of the source”
Save your own time: “If the quality of the source is low or it doesn’t adequately answer the questions you have to find better sources”
Does this source have value to you or too many limitations?
Are all sides represented?
“start tracing back to the original source for full context”
Use lateral reading strategies - Can I find the information or statistics replicated elsewhere? Can I verify the information presented in the source?
Want to learn more about fact checking and evaluating sources? Click here for a 2-3 hour mini course
