BIO 260: Introduction to Research in Biology: Web Resources

The SIFT Method is a tool for evaluating information in 60 seconds. It focuses on searching other sources to verify the creator's authority and the creator's claims.

1. Stop what you're reading and watching and ask yourself:
   1. Do I know this site or source? 
   2. What is my goal in watching or reading this information? Do I want to verify the claim they're making?
   3. Do I want to share this video?
2. Investigate the source. Run a quick search on the publisher, author, or creator.
   1. Do they have expertise or experience in the subject?
   2. Do they have an agenda? (for example, are they trying to sell you something? Is their primary purpose to get you to vote a certain way?)
3. Find better coverage. If you want to investigate the claim they are making, search the claim and scan multiple sources.
4. Trace back to the original.
   1. If you're unsure if an image has been photoshopped, run a reverse image search.
   2. Did the source quote a respected source? Find the original quote to see if it was misquoted or taken out of context.

The SIFT Method by Mike Caulfield is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.