Evaluate Web Sources Using SIFT
Take away: Read laterally with SIFT and learn more about a source BEFORE fully investing in and engaging with it!
| (S)top |
| (I)nvestigate the source |
| (F)ind better coverage |
| (T)race claims, quotes, and media back to the original context |
The SIFT strategy was developed by Mike Caulfield and has been reused here under a Creative Commons license.
| InfoLit Video: |
Concepts/Skills: |
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It's Not Cake - Subscribe thoughtfully
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Investigate the source
- Be intentional about sources coming into your feeds
- Rollover or tap and hold to see account information
- Add the term [ wikipedia ] to your search bar
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Your Cat Would Eat You - Look at the Links
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Investigate the source/Find better coverage
- Click on links within an article
- Consider using sources closest to the original report/research
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What's Google News?
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Investigate the source
- Click on Google News to sort results to "news" sources
- Google News is not a filter for quality, accuracy, impartiality, or bias. It is just a filter for organizational type.
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The Find or Find on Page Feature
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Investigate the source
- Use command+F or Find on Page to locate relevant sections of text on a page
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Search for Context
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Trace claims, quotes, and media back to the original context
- If a video clip, quote, or story gives you a strong emotional reaction, investigate other sources to gain context and perspective
- Trace claims, quotes, and media back to the original context
- Search for the full (or at least longer with more context) video
- Search for the a full quote
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Introduction to the Apple News App
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Find better coverage
- Explore ways to diversify your sources of news.
- Familiarize yourself with the names of as many legitimate news sources as possible and get a feel for their editorial leanings and kinds of factual news reporting typical of the organization.
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Charts, Graphs, and Statistics Need Context
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Trace claims, quotes, and media back to the original context/Investigate the Source
- Investigate content presented in charts and graphs as thoroughly as you would content in text form.
- Sometimes you need to investigate the source quoted within a source!
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Three Categories of News
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Investigate the source
- In general, there are three broad categories of "news": news, analysis, and opinion.
- Being able to identify the characteristics typical of each can help us to place the source in an appropriate context when we are engaging with it and using information from it.
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