Information that is available online can vary in quality--some is reputable, research-based, and reliable, but a lot of it isn't. You can follow the same steps as you would for a scholarly article, but with an extra-critical eye. This short video explains a few reasons why:
When evaluating a web source, thing about SIFTing:
SIFT is a simple 4-step method to help you evaluate information that you find on the web.
There is no automatic review or editorial process for websites, so you carry the burden of determining if a web source is appropriate for your project. Utilizing this method can help you to assess the credibility of a source, identify bias and avoid mis- or disinformation.
The SIFT method is useful not just in your academic career, but also in your daily life!
image source: https://hapgood.us/2019/06/19/sift-the-four-moves/
Before engaging with a piece of media, stop. Ask yourself what you know about the website or source of information. What is the reputation of the information source? What do you know about the information or claim being presented?
If you don't know the source's reputation or about the claims being being made, use the other steps in SIFT to get a better idea of what you are looking at. It can be best to not engage with a piece of media until you know what it actually is.
The next step is to learn more about the source of the information. The source can be a website, organization, journalistic publication, or a person. You will want to investigate how reputable that source is, and finding out can be as easy as searching Wikipedia or Googling them. Above all, you want to look beyond what the source is saying about itself to learn more about it.
Hint: try adding "wikipedia" to a website's address in your browser:
The Wikipedia entry for that source should be at the top of your search results.
Wikipedia can be a great place to start when investigating a source, especially an organization or journalistic publication.
Even if your source is reputable and well regarded, it may be best to locate other sources talking about the same topic or claim. In some cases, your initial source of information may not be the originator of that information and is simply reporting someone else's claim.
It may be possible to locate other sources that are more trusted or more in-depth that corroborate or dispute the information. You can begin to form an idea of what the expert consensus is on a topic or claim, or find sources that are better suited to your needs.
If your source of information is not the original reporter of that information, it's wise to trace that information back to its source. Claims, quotes and media on the internet are often missing context. Tracing information and claims back to their source helps establish their original context and determine if your source is fairly and accurately representing that information.
Remember that it may also be necessary to investigate and verify the sources you find when tracing claims.
Here are some resources to help fact check claims:
