8.2: How to Fact Check
- Page ID
- 186012
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Can't figure out if what you've heard is true? In addition to The CRAP Test, there is another tool specifically built to help you spot misinformation: SIFT.
SIFT
S - Stop
- When you open a new resource, stop and ask yourself whether you know and trust the source of the information. If you don’t, follow the steps in I, F, and T to get a sense of what you’re reading. Don’t read or share it until you know what it is.
- As you continue evaluating, if you feel yourself getting overwhelmed by your factchecking efforts, stop! Take a second to remind yourself what your goal is. Adjust your strategy if it isn’t working.
I - Investigate the Source
- As a researcher, you need to know the context information you’re about to consume, before you read it. Take some time to investigate before you read the resource. Why investigate? You would want to know if a resource on the dietary benefits of milk was published by the dairy industry. Just like you’d want to know if a resource about economics was written by an award-winning economist.
- Some good ways to investigate:
- Google the author's name.
- Google the publisher's name.
- Read the “about us” section on the source’s website (check for bias!).
- Look at the URL. If it seems like it's meant to trick you, investigate further.
F - Find Better Coverage
- What claims does the resource make? Can you find other trusted sources of information that make the same claims?
- See if you can find more trusted, more in-depth, or more varied resources that back up the claims you see in the first resource.
- If you see something that seems sensational, too good to be true, or really scary (it’s the end of the world!), be skeptical. Try to find trusted coverage of these sensational claims, they’re probably not true.
T - Trace Claims, Quotes and Media Back to the Original Context
- Just like in a game of telephone, the more removed information is from its original source, the more it can change. See if you can trace claims back to their source to verify that the information hasn’t changed.
- Some good ways to trace back to the original source:
- Check the References/Works Cited page in the resource.
- Click on links provided in the resource.
- Google the claim and try to find where it originated.
Use Fact-Checking websites
CCC Librarians' favorites include:
- FactCheck.org(opens in new window)
A product of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, this site is terrific for checking up on political claims. - Politifact(opens in new window)
The Pulitzer Prize-winning Politifact researches the claims of politicians and checks their accuracy. - Snopes.com(opens in new window)
One of the oldest debunking sites on the Internet, Snopes.com focuses on urban legends, news stories and memes (and cites their sources). - AllSides(opens in new window)
This site provides articles and an assessment of their bias, from left to right. - The Washington Post Fact-Checker(opens in new window)
While focused primarily on political facts, it covers specific claims in-depth and with plenty of cross-referencing.
Image credit: Mike Caulfield’s Check, Please! Starter Course(opens in new window)