LibGuides: CO 295-01: Introduction to Public Relations: Evaluating Sources

Using Critical Thinking to Evaluate Sources

Think Critically!

The ability to think critically about information is essential to evaluating its reliability and relevance. Use the resources on this page to help you become a better news consumer and critical thinker as well as a good digital citizen!

Fact Checking in Five Steps

Five quick ways to double-check online information:

If a story is too good to be true, it probably is. False and misleading stories spread like wildfire because lies can be more appealing than the truth.
Use reverse image search to verify pictures. Real photographs that have not been edited at all can get reshared to fit a new narrative and spread misinformation. There are several reverse image search tools including Google Reverse Image Search. To begin, go to the Google Image Search webpage, click the camera icon, and either paste in the URL for an onine image, upload an image from your hard drive, or drag an image from another window. Visit the Tips and Tools page of the library research guide on Misinformation for more image search tools.
Use thumbnail images to verify videos. You can take several thumbnail images from any video and use reverse image search to check whether it's been posted online before. (Use Amnesty International's extraction tool.)
Not all research is created equal. Always check with official sources (Visit the Reliable Sources page of the library research guide on Misinformation for some suggestions.) Just because something has a chart or a table doesn't mean it's true.
Use geolocation to double-check places. Good observation skills and oniine searching can quickly check the location of a photo or video. Read this article in PCWorld for more information, and use the Google Maps Geolocation explainer to get started.

Source: First Draft News

Video: What is a Credible Source?

As a university student, you are expected to use credible sources in your assessments and course work. A credible source is one that is written by someone who is an expert in their discipline and is free of errors and bias. This video will help you get started.

Sources: USC Library, NC State Libraries

SIFT It! - brief outline

Learn to recognize misinformation using the SIFT assessment method developed by digital literacy expert Michael Caulfield, director of blended and online learning at Washington State University:

STOP and check for previous work: Look around to see if someone else has already fact-checked the claim or provided a synthesis of research conducted.
INVESTIGATE by going upstream to the source: Go “upstream” to the source of the claim. Since most web content is not original, you should backtrack to the original source of the assertion to understand the trustworthiness of the information.
FIND better coverage by reading laterally: Once you get to the source of a claim (book, article, photo, etc.), read what trusted sources say about it. Look for consensus amongst these sources.
TRACE the claim. Circle back to the original source and assess its context.

Below is a quick video on the importance of lateral reading, a key part of the SIFT process. And don't forget to check out the tutorial on using the SIFT method to learn more!