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Information Literacy: Evaluate Sources

What is fake news and how does it spread?
Why is it important to evaluate information?

STEP 1

Evaluate the CRAAP out of the source.
Use the CRAAP test to evaluate the source. Is it current? Is it relevant? Who is the author/authority? Is it accurate? What is the purpose? Use the links below to question the source further.

Is the source an article posted to a website?
"Fun" Fact: "59 percent of links shared on social media have never actually been clicked." (Washington Post)
  1. Read the article!
  2. Pay attention to the domain and URL.
  3. Read the "About Us" section or look for direct contact information.
  4. Does the author quote experts?
  5. Check the comments.
  6. Right-click any photos.
(Adapted from NPR "Fake Or Real? How To Self-Check The News And Get The Facts")

Use the additional resources below to help evaluate online content.

STEP 2

Go a step further and check out John Green's Navigating Digital Information Crash Course in 10 episodes. Green teams with MediaWise, The Poynter Institute, and The Stanford History Education Group "to develop this curriculum of hands-on skills to help you evaluate the information you read online. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 
  1. Examine information using the same skills and questions as fact-checkers
  2. Read laterally to learn more about the authority and perspective of sources
  3. Evaluate different types of evidence, from videos to infographics
  4. Understand how search engines and social media feeds work
  5. Break bad internet habits like impatience and passivity, and build better ones"

Finding Credible News Sources

Tips:

Library Books

Additional Resources

The SJND Miller Library's mission is to provide you with diverse resources to meet your information needs and curiosities; empower you to take initiative in furthering the depth and breadth of your education; teach you how to locate, access, evaluate, use, and properly cite information sources; and help you become a compassionate, discerning, and self-directed lifelong learner.