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TGC: The Great Conversation

SIFT Infographic: stop, investigate the source, find better coverage, trace claims

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: what claim is this making and how do I feel about the claim?
  2. Investigate the source. Run a quick search on the publisher, author, or creator.
  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.

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

SIFT Activity: Investigate the Source

1. Stop

  • Look at the article "Power Increases Dehumanization"
  • What claim is the article making?
  • How do you feel about the claim? Do you think that more powerful people are more likely to dehumanize others?

2. Investigate the Source

  • Identify the author and publisher of the article.
  • Open a new tab and search for information about the publisher and authors.
  • Discuss: how does the information that you found impact your view of the credibility of this article?

Discuss

  • Did your opinion of the article's credibility change? Why or why not?
  • If your opinion of the article did change, was it because of something you found in the article or something you found outside of the article?

SIFT Activity #2

3. Find Better Coverage

Google the claim and find information from a source that you trust.

4. Trace it Back to the Original

The article from moms.com mentions a study published in JAMA. Find that study!

Here are some options:

  1. You can follow the links in the article to see if they lead back to the JAMA study.
  2. You can try to search for the article and journal (but it might not show up if it's behind a paywall).
  3. Since you know that it's supposed to be a peer-reviewed study, you can search in Google Scholar.
  4. You can search Journal Finder to see if Jenks Library has access to the journal JAMA.

Once you find the article, skim through the abstract.

Discuss

  1. Is it time to ditch sunscreen?
  2. Is there any basis to the claim that chemical from sunscreen can enter the bloodstream? Are you concerned? Why or why not?
  3. Did the Twitter/X post accurately summarize the JAMA study? Did the moms.com article accurately summarize the JAMA study?
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