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Evaluating Information

SIFT - The Four Moves

 

The SIFT method was created by Mike Caulfield.

All SIFT information on this page is adapted from his materials with a CC BY 4.0 license.

SIFT is an acronym for initially evaluating source credibility.  It was created by Mike Caulfield and stands for:

STOP: Pause and ask yourself if you recognize the information source or know anything about the website's reputability. 

INVESTIGATE: Where does this information come from? Is it worth your time? Look at what others have said about the source.

FIND: Look for trusted coverage. Look for credible sources and compare information across sources to determine if there is consensus.

TRACE: Trace claims, quotes, and media back to its original source. Sometimes online information has been removed from it's original context.

 

S - Stop

 

Ask yourself: Do I know this website? Do I know this information source? Do I know it's reputation?

Before moving forward, use the other three moves: Investigate the Source, Find Better Coverage, and Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media back to the Original Context.

I - Investigate the Source

  • Use Google or Wikipedia to investigate a news organization or other resource.

F - Find Better Coverage

  • Look and see what other coverage is available on the same topic
  • Look at trusted news sources
  • Use Fact Checking sites

T - Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media Back to the Original Context

  • Click through to follow links to claims
  • Open up the original reporting sources listed in a bibliography if present
  • Look at the original context. Was the claim, quote, or media fairly represented?