Evaluating Information
Evaluating Sources
Using SIFT and Lateral Reading
Learning Objectives
- Explain why it is important to evaluate information sources, especially when conducting academic research or making decisions.
- Describe the four steps of the SIFT method (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims to the original context).
- Use lateral-reading strategies to help determine a source’s credibility.
Overview
Whether you’re writing a research paper, sharing a post online, or just trying to understand a topic, taking time to evaluate your sources helps you make informed decisions and avoid misinformation. This chapter introduces the SIFT method, a simple set of steps that can help you quickly determine whether a source is reliable.
You’ll also learn about lateral reading, a strategy professional fact-checkers use to investigate unfamiliar sources by looking outside the source itself. Together, these tools will help you become a smarter, more critical, and more confident information user.
Introduction to SIFT
SIFT stands for:
- Stop.
- Investigate the source with lateral reading.
- Find trusted coverage.
- Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original source.
We’ll look at each one.
Step 1: Stop
Before you read or watch something, stop and ask yourself: “Do I know and trust this source?”
If not, use the other SIFT steps to learn more about it.
Stopping can also be helpful during the investigation process. If you find yourself falling down an internet rabbit hole or feeling overwhelmed, pause and remind yourself of your goal. What do you really need to know? Are you getting closer to that goal or just clicking around aimlessly? Refocus if needed.
Step 2: Investigate the Source with Lateral Reading
If you’re not already familiar with the author and publisher of a source, take a minute to investigate:
- Who wrote or published the source?
- What’s their reputation?
This doesn’t mean you need to do hours of research. A quick internet search can tell you whether you’re reading an article by a respected scientist or watching a video sponsored by an industry group with a specific agenda. It’s not that experts are always right or that organizations with interests are always wrong. But understanding the source’s reputation and purpose helps you better judge the credibility of the information presented by the source.
One of the most effective ways to investigate a source is by using a method called “lateral reading.”
Watch this brief introduction to lateral reading from iCivics and the Digital Inquiry Group:
Lateral reading means leaving the page you’re on to investigate the source using other, more trusted sources. It’s one of the fastest and most effective ways to find out if a source is credible.
Here’s how to do it:
- Open a new tab or browser window.
- Search for the name of the website, organization, or author.
- Look for what well-known and reliable sources say about them.
Use sources like Wikipedia, established news outlets, or academic institutions to check:
- Does the source have a good reputation?
- Do experts or journalists reference it?
- Is it known for pushing biased or misleading content?
Lateral reading helps you answer important questions before you trust or share information. Rather than relying on what the site says about itself, you build a fuller picture from multiple outside sources. That context helps you decide if the original information is worth your time.
Step 3: Find Trusted Coverage
Sometimes you don’t care about a particular article or post; you are interested in the claim it’s making. You want to know whether it’s true and if it represents a consensus viewpoint.
In those cases, your best strategy is to find other trusted reporting or analysis on the topic. Instead of trying to decide whether one article is accurate, check if reputable news organizations or subject experts are reporting the same thing. Understanding the broader context helps you think more critically about what you’re reading.
Search for News Coverage
If you can’t find the original quote or event directly, try searching for an article from an established news outlet that covers it in more detail. Try searching in a news aggregator like Google News.
Step 4: Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media Back to the Original Context
A lot of content online has been taken out of context: quotes, photos, videos, and even research studies.
Maybe someone shares a dramatic video clip, but you don’t know what happened before or after it. Or you see a quote that seems shocking, but you don’t know who said it or when. Or you read that a scientific study supports a claim, but no one links to the actual study.
In these cases, trace down the original source whenever you can.
- Find the full video, not just the short clip
- Look up the original article or research paper
- Check if a quote was used accurately and fairly
By seeing things in their full context, you’ll be better able to decide if what you saw was accurately presented.
How to Trace Claims
Look for a Link or Citation
- Does the article or post link directly to the original source?
- Is there a title, author, or organization mentioned that you can search?
If so, open that source and read it yourself. Don’t rely on someone else’s summary; see what the original actually says.
Search for the Original
If the article doesn’t link or cite its sources:
- Copy the claim, quote, or statistic
- Paste it into a search engine with details like the possible author, publication, or keywords
Reverse Image Search
If you’re unsure about a photo, try a reverse image search to help figure out where it came from. This technique lets you upload a photo or paste a URL from an image you found online, and then it finds other websites where the image appears. You can often figure out when and where an image was originally posted.
Two popular reverse image search tools are:
- Google Images (click the camera icon to search by image)
- TinEye
SIFT in Action: A Step-by-Step Demonstration
Watch this demonstration from Vanderbilt Libraries to better understand what the SIFT process looks like in practice:
Avoid Common Misconceptions About Online Credibility
There are a lot of outdated and inaccurate ideas about how to evaluate websites. You may have even been taught some in school!
Don’t Rely on the Top-Level Domain Name Alone
Despite what you may have heard, websites ending in “.org” are not automatically better than those ending in “.com.” Anyone can buy website domains with those endings for any reason.
Instead, do a quick search to learn who owns and operates the site and if it has a good reputation.
Good Design Doesn’t Guarantee Trustworthiness
A clean, professional-looking site can still publish misleading or false information. Website templates and design tools make it easy to create impressive-looking pages with little effort.
Consider How Ads Are Used
Reputable sites often rely on advertising to stay in business. However, some websites blur the lines between content and advertising.
Watch for:
- Articles labeled “sponsored content,” “partnered with,” “paid post,” or “presented by”
- Links to products that earn the site a commission
- Stories that feel more like ads than information
Be especially cautious when ads are disguised as articles or influence what’s being recommended.
“About” Pages Offer Only One Side of the Story
An “About” section on a website is an opportunity for an organization to tell you what they want you to know about them. They are not always a true picture of that organization’s mission or purpose. Use lateral reading to see how other trusted sources describe the organization or its authors.
Citations Can Be Misleading or Misused
Many sites use links or citations to show the sources of their information. However, some sites take advantage of the perceived authority of citing sources:
- The links might point to other pages on the same site
- The source may not actually support the claim
- The citation might take a quote or study out of context
If you’re questioning a site’s reputability, you can follow the links to check whether the original source is reliable and is being used accurately.
Final Takeaway
The SIFT method gives you a quick, practical way to evaluate information by looking beyond surface-level impressions and asking questions like:
- Who created it?
- What’s their background or perspective?
- What do other trusted sources say about this topic?
- Is this claim accurate and presented in the right context?
Keep in mind that not every source will require every SIFT step. Sometimes a quick check will be enough, while other situations may require a deeper dive. You may also move between steps or use more than one at a time.
Even after you’ve determined that a source is credible, you still need to consider if it’s useful for your purpose. A reliable source might not be the right fit for your topic or assignment. Learn more in the “Relevance” chapter.
Being a thoughtful information user helps you become a better student, a smarter citizen, and a more confident communicator.
Knowledge Check
Reflection
- Why is it important to evaluate sources even when you’re not writing a paper or doing academic research?
- How could using lateral reading change the way you interact with information on social media?
- Choose a recent headline or viral claim you’ve seen. How might you use SIFT to evaluate it?
Attributions
This chapter contains material adapted from:
- Check, Please! Starter Course by Mike Caulfield, used under a CC BY 4.0 license
- Using SIFT to Evaluate Sources for Credibility Tutorial by Vanderbilt Libraries Teaching & Learning, used under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license
- Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers Copyright © 2017 by Michael A. Caulfield is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license
