LibGuides: Library Research for College Students: Step-by-Step: Step 5: Evaluating Sources

How to Evaluate Sources

Evaluate your sources for RELEVANCE and CREDIBILITY

RELEVANCE: Are your sources useful to you?

Skim and scan the research material
- Does the source look like it makes sense for your topic>
- If so, jot down the main facts, ideas, and concepts related to your topic
  - Notice the patterns in your research material
    - Are the same ideas, themes, and topics repeated in different sources?
      - These are the most important pieces of your topic,
      - They represent the main points, secondary points, and boundaries of the subject
      - They help you identify the major components of your topic
      - They help you identify most common thoughts and beliefs.
Look at different perspectives on your topic
- At this point you've probably formed your own thoughts about your topic and you have the sources to support it.
- Next, look for sources that show another perspective.
  - This is a hugely important step!
    - Knowing and understanding other perspectives
      - Provides the complete picture of the issue.
      - Avoids confirmation bias and demonstrates objectivity about the issue
      - Ensures you understand your perspective is not the only one. Confirmation bias
      - Shows the validity of your own beliefs
      - Shows you understand why others may have different ideas

CREDIBILITY: Notice the 3 methods for evaluation sources listed on this page all ask similar questions:

What are the author's credentials? Are they qualified to write about your topic?
Is the author biased a certain way? Are they a member of a strongly-leaning group or organization?
What year was the article or source published? Is it still relevant today? Does it provide the most up-to-date information?
How reliable is the source? Is it from a reputable author or publisher? If it's a book, university presses are reputable sources. Do you recognize the author's name; if not, are there credentials (their job title or academic rank) that tell you about the author's expertise?
How useful is the source in helping you address your topic?
Is it scholarly? Does your assignment require you to use only scholarly sources?

ACT UP Method of Evaluation

Mike Caufield's SIFT Method: Evaluating Information

Stop

When you initially encounter a source of information and start to read it—STOP
Ask yourself whether you know and trust the author, publisher, publication, or website.
Don’t read, share, or use the source in your research until you know what it is, and you can verify it is reliable.
- The attention economy—social media, news organizations, and other digital platforms purposely promote sensational, divisive, and outrage-inducing content that emotionally hijacks our attention in order to keep us “engaged” with their sites (clicking, liking, commenting, sharing).
- Stop and check your emotions before engaging!

Investigate the Source

Knowing the expertise and agenda of the person who created the source is crucial to your interpretation of the information provided. Ask yourself:

Who wrote the piece?
Is the person qualified to write about a topic?
- Look for author credentials at the top or beneath the article.
- No credentials? Do a Google search for the person? Move on if you can't find them.
Why was it written? What is its purpose?
- To inform or educate?
- To entertain or sell something?
- To spread disinformation to persuade you to think like the author or person who shared the info?

When investigating a source, fact-checkers read “laterally” across many websites, rather than digging deep (reading “vertically”) into the one source they are evaluating. That is, they don’t spend much time on the source itself, but instead they quickly get off the page and see what others have said about the source. They open up many tabs in their browser, piecing together different bits of information from across the web to get a better picture of the source they’re investigating.

Find Better Coverage

Look for other coverage that includes trusted reporting or analysis on that same claim
Trade up for a higher quality source
Don't be wedded to using your first source.

Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media to the Original Context

Much of what we find on the internet has been stripped of context.
- Example 1: You watch a video of a fight between two people with Person A as the aggressor.
  - But what happened before that?
  - What was clipped out of the video and what stayed in?
  - Maybe there’s a picture that seems real but the caption could be misleading.
- Example 2: a claim is made about a new medical treatment based on a research finding
  - Are you certain if the cited research paper actually said that?
  - Track it down to verify
People who share these stories either get things wrong by mistake, or may be intentionally trying to mislead us.
Trace the claim, quote, or media back to the source, so you can see it in its original context and get a sense of whether the version you saw was accurately presented.

Source:

Butler, Walter, D. Aloha Sargent, and Kelsey Smith. "Information Sources: Bias," Introduction to College Research. OER. Pressbooks. 2020. https://introtocollegeresearch.pressbooks.com/chapter/the-sift-method/

SIFT Method: developed by Mike Caulfield, Washington State University digital literacy expert

Link to more information about the SIFT Method of evaluating information below:

SIFT Method
Find more information about the SIFT Method of Evaluating sources including video resources in the this OER textbook - Introduction to College Research.

Does Your Source Pass the C.R.A.A.P. Test?

Does Your Test Pass the C.R.A.A.P. Test ?
When you search for information, you're going to find lots of it . . . but is it good information? You will have to determine that for yourself, and the C.R.A.A.P. Test can help. The C.R.A.A.P Test is a list of questions to help you evaluate the information you find. Different criteria will be more or less important depending on your situation or need.

Why Fact-Checking?
When you find a source of information, how do you know if it’s true? How can you be sure that it is a reliable, trustworthy, and effective piece of evidence for your research? This chapter will introduce you to a set of strategies to quickly and effectively verify your sources, based on the approach taken by professional fact-checkers. Fact-checking is a form of information hygiene—it can minimize your own susceptibility to misinformation and disinformation, and help you to avoid spreading it to others.
Fact-Checking Images and Memes
Often, claims or stories will come to you in the form of images and memes. How do you know if images have been digitally altered (Photoshopped) or if they are being shared out of context (misrepresented)?
Fake News, Propaganda, and Other Types of False Information: Media Literacy Resources
LibGuide with a variety of resources covering fake news, disinformation, conspiracy theories and more.

Library Research for College Students: Step-by-Step

Student Learning Librarian

Credit

Portions of this guide were based upon a research guide created by the University of Michigan Library and a research guide from Reynolds Community College Library. Both are used with permission thanks to a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Supplementary textbook readings are linked from Choosing and Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research by Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries, which is licensed and used thanks to a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.