SIFT
SIFT is a simple method for evaluating online information built on four basic skills:
STOP!
Investigate the Source
Find Better Coverage
Trace Claims, Quotes and Media
to the Original Context
The SIFT method was developed by Mike Caulfield.
If you want to dig deeper into fact-checking and source-checking, the Check, Please! Starter Course is good starting point. It is comprised of five easy lessons with multiple activities for each.
STOP!
STOP!
before you read an article
before you watch a video
before you respond to media messages you find online.
Ask yourself if you know the site or source of information, and what you know about its reputation. If you don't have good answers, go on to the other three moves: investigate the Source, Find Better Coverage, and Trace Claims, Quotes and Media to the Original Context.
I - Investigate the Source
Open another browser tab and use Google or Wikipedia to see what you can find out about the source. If you've never heard of theglobeandmail.com, a quick glance at the Wikipedia entry will identify it as a valid newspaper. Looking up the author or the sponsoring organization will also tell you something about the source's reliability.
F - Find Better Coverage
Sometimes the source is less important than the claims it presents. If a news story is important, it will be covered by sources you know you can trust. By scanning multiple sources, you may be able to find expert consensus on an issue. A reverse image search can also be used to find other coverage.
T - Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media Back to the Original Context
As information on the web gets re-reported and copied from site to site, it may lose its original context. Sometimes articles and images get shared with commentary. As a result, the original meaning can get distorted. Tracing information back to its source is a good way to clarify the meaning.
