English Language and Literature
Know Your Resource Types
Information will come to you in a variety of formats. Different types of resources have different authority and credibility cues. It is important to know the basic characteristics of resource types so that you can make good decisions about which ones to trust and use in your own work.
Also, check out this AMAZINGLY HELPFUL Infographic on some important differences between resource types, such as how much scrutiny they receive before publication, or how long they take to publish, for another look at resource characteristics. .
How to Evaluate Resources
Below are a selection of brief videos and tutorials that discuss strategies for evaluating resources. Check them out!
Lateral Reading with SIFT
A study has shown that factcheckers are REALLY GOOD at determining credibility from clickbait. How do they do it?
When looking at resources online, such as blogs or videos or news articles, use lateral reading to quickly establish if the source is credible and accurate.
The four moves of SIFT are essentially about RECONTEXTUALIZING what you read online. In doing so, you give yourself enough information to absorb digital content effectively and make informed decisions.
- Stop: Do you know the resource or the website it came from? If you aren't familiar with a source and its reputation, this is your cue stop reading and start investigating. Don't share or use a story, until you've learned more about it.
- Investigate the source: Know what you are reading before you read it. Knowing who is writing the work and why they are writing it is critical to your ability to interpret it. Take 60 seconds to determine where the source is coming from before reading further.
- Find Better Coverage: The claim being made is often important than the specific article or video you are using. To verify the claim, step outside of the story you found and look for additional, trusted reporting about the claim from another source(s).
- Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media: Very often information online is taken out of context. Find the original source of any claims, quotes, and media for their original context.
Source: SIFT (The Four Moves), by Mike Caulfield. June 19, 2019.
Fact-checking resources
These sources can help you verify the truth or falsity of specific claims.
- SnopesSnopes began in 1994 examining urban legends, but has expanded to general fact-checking.
- Media Bias / Fact CheckA site that examines bias in media from all points of the political spectrum. It includes a "Daily Source Bias Check" that examines the truthfulness and bias of various news sources.
- Fact CheckA non-partisan site that focuses on political claims.
- PolitifactA site that rates the accuracy of claims made by U.S. politicians with the Truth-o-Meter.
- Lead StoriesFact-checks stories that are trending.
- False, Misleading, Clickbait-y, and/or Satirical 'News' SourcesTips and tricks for spotting questionable news sites. The list is maintained by Melissa Zimdars, assistant professor of Communications at Merrimack College.
- authentiSciA Chrome browser extension that allows scientists to check the authenticity of a science news item, showing readers a "score" that tells them how accurately the article describes the science.This extension was developed by the Clifton Group, a member of which is a faculty member of UMass Amherst.
- Last Updated: Aug 7, 2024 11:42 PM
- URL: https://guides.library.umass.edu/english
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