Evaluating sources

Assessing and evaluating information sources is essential in daily life as well as for writing academic papers.

From practical (and quick!) tips to online courses, here are a few approaches to evaluating information.

Recommended methods and approaches

SIFT method: "Four Moves" for quickly assessing sources

This fact-checking method is about quickly assessing and evaluating information -- before you invest in reading or viewing a source. 

SIFT is made up of four "moves": 

  • Stop
  • Investigate the source
  • Find better coverage
  • Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context.

 Tip: Remember your purpose. It's easy to spend a lot of time on fact-checking -- but depending on your goal, quick checks may be all you need.

 Stop

Before you read or share something, ask yourself:

  • Do you know the website or source of the information?
  • What is the reputation of the claim and the website?

If you don't know, use the other moves to learn more. 

 Investigate the source

Before you read or watch something, it's good to know where the information came from.

What's the creator's expertise, or agenda (or both)?

 Find better coverage

To find out if a claim is controversial or represents wide consensus, look for how the subject is covered by:

  • a trusted source, or:
  • multiple sources, to see if experts agree.

Understanding the context and history of a claim will give you a strong foundation for further investigation (if you choose to go further!).

 Trace claims, quotes, and media back to the original context 

What is the context? Did the original source make the same points? 

Trace the claim, quote, or media back to the original source to get the full picture.

More about the SIFT method

The brief summary here of the SIFT method was adapted from Michael Caulfield's SIFT (The Four Moves), under CC BY 4.0.

RADAR method of evaluating sources

The RADAR framework is a system for heping students evaluate the relevance, reliability, and quality of any resource.

 Relevance

Does the source relate to your topic or answer your research question? Does it meet the requirements for the assignment? Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is the one you will use?

 Authority

Is the author known as an expert in the field? Does the author work for a reputable institution, e.g. a university, research center or government? Does anyone cite this author/work? Does the author rely on other well-cited works? Is there contact information, e.g. a publisher or email address?

 Date

Has the information been revised or updated? Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well? If older, is this a seminal or landmark work? Are the links functional?

 Appearance

Was the work published by a peer-reviewed journal, academic press or other reliable publisher? Was the information reviewed by an editor or a subject expert before it was published? Do the references support the author's argument? Are the references properly cited? Can you verify any of the information in another source? Does the source look professional? Are there advertisements, typographical errors, or biased language?

 Reason

Why was the information created? Appropriate information sources are created: to educate by spreading scholarly information; sometimes but not always to persuade the reader; never to entertain or sell something.

More about the RADAR method

See: J. Mandalios, “RADAR: An approach for helping students evaluate Internet sources,” J. Inf. Sci., Vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 470-478, 2013.

Additional sources for evaluating credibility

Evaluation information: SIFT (Kwantlen Polytechnic University)
Includes a quick video by SIFT creator Mike Caulfield about why quick fact-checking skills are so effective. 

Evaluating Internet Resources (Ryerson University Library and Archives)
Strategies for evaluating websites as well as journal articles and books -- featuring the The CRAAP Test.

How to spot fake news: Identifying propaganda, satire, and false information (SFU Library)
Includes a shareable graphic and quizzes to test your skills. 

How do I assess a publisher, journal, or conference?
This SFU Library guide, designed for faculty and graduate students, includes valuable tips for spotting predatory publishers and assessing the impact and importance of a journal.

Further study

Check Please!
A course in fact-checking using the SIFT method, split into 5 parts. Total course length: 2 1/2 hours.

Calling Bull: Data Reasoning in a Digital World (INFO 270 / BIOL 270, University of Washington)
Instructors Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West have created a university credit course, Calling Bullshit, and have made their readings and lecture videos available online. In their words, "Our world is saturated with bull. Learn to detect and defuse it." 

 

Attribution

The brief summary here of the SIFT method was adapted from Michael Caulfield's SIFT (The Four Moves), under CC BY 4.0.