Library Guides: SW 313: Social Welfare Policy: Evaluating the News

SIFT: Four Evaluation Moves

Stop:
- Ask yourself: Do you know the website or source of the information? What is its reputation?
- Remember your purpose.
Investigate the source:
- What is the producer's expertise? Do they have an agenda?
Find better coverage:
- Look for trusted reporting or analysis on the claim.
Trace claims, quotes, and media back to the original context.

The SIFT method was created by Mike Caulfield. All SIFT information on this page is adapted from his materials with a CC BY 4.0 license.

Determining if resources are credible is challenging. Use the SIFT method to help you analyze information, especially news or other online media.

Remember, you can always Ask a Librarian for help with evaluating information.

FactCheck.org
A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center.
Lead Stories LLC
A fact-checking site with special pages for "Red," "Blue," "Deep fakes," and "Elections 2024" misinformation.
MISBAR
An Arab platform for checking facts and exposing falsehood in the public arena. Covers US as well as the Arab countries.
Politifact
Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-check site.
Snopes
Award-winning fact-checking site.
The Washington Post Fact-Checker
While focused primarily on political facts, it covers specific claims in-depth and with plenty of cross-referencing.
International Fact-Checking Network
Housed at the Poynter Institute, the Network promotes a code of principles. This page provides the code and a list of signatories.

Speciality Sites:

Climate Feedback
A worldwide network of scientists sorting fact from fiction in climate change media coverage.
Quote Investigator
Who really said that? Researcher Garson O'Toole reports on his quests for truth about quotations.
SciCheck
Focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy.