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Communication 171 - Principe: Evaluating Sources

This guide provides students with tips and recommended resources for finding research articles on topics related to Mass Media & Society.

What Makes Quality News Sources

Quality Sources: VIAbility

Venn diagram with intersecting circles for Verification, Independence, and Accountability, and the overlapping area labeled Reliable News

The Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University uses the acronym V.I.A. to describe journalistic standards -- the characteristics shared by trustworthy media companies and creators. Media outlets that create reliable news are committed to Verification, Independence, and Accountability.

Verification
Criteria

The media outlet uses evidence from multiple credible sources to demonstrate the accuracy or truth of the claims they make in their reporting.
Things to Look For
  • The source provides links to their sources, or gives enough information about them that you can find them yourself
  • The source relies on evidence from verifiable experts in the field
  • The source relies on research published in scholarly journals
Things to Avoid
  • Sources that make claims without providing any evidence for them
  • Phrases such as "multiple sources," "many experts," or "multiple studies" without any specific information about those sources, experts, or studies
  • Sources whose "evidence" only links to other sources from their own website or organization

Independence
Criteria

The media outlet:

  • is free from outside control or influence
  • makes a conscious effort to set aside preexisting beliefs
  • uses checks and balances to reduce bias
Things to Look For
  • A named author whose identity and credentials can be verified by other sources (such as Wikipedia)
  • Transparency about the author and/or media outlet's political or professional affiliations, relationships with advertisers, etc.
Things to Avoid
  • Sources whose authors and/or affiliations cannot be identified
  • Groups whose primary goal is to sell products directly related to their reporting (e.g. "Studies prove that this rare mushroom will increase your life span! Click the link to buy it from us.")

Accountability
Criteria

The media outlet:

  • takes responsibility for their work
  • acknowledges mistakes and makes corrections
Things to Look For
  • Media outlets that have a history of correcting mistakes in previous work
  • Journalist and/or media outlets that share their contact information so mistakes can be communicated
Things to Avoid
  • Sources created by individuals or groups that cannot be contacted
  • Groups that consistently dismiss or attack all evidence that challenges their claims

More Fact Checking and Source Evaluation Resources

Online Fact-Checking Sites

Source Evaluation Guides & Tutorials

Free Interactive eBooks & Online Courses

SIFT & PICK Fact Checking & Source Evaluation

SIFT & PICK

What Makes an Information Source "Good?"

“Good” sources include those that provide complete, current, factual information, and/or credible arguments based on the information creator’s original research, expertise, and/or use of other reliable sources.

Whether a source is a good choice for you depends on your information needs and how you plan to use the source.

Evaluating Sources Using Lateral & Vertical Reading

The SIFT* & PICK approach to evaluating sources helps you select quality sources by practicing:

yellow arrow pointing to the right  Lateral Reading (SIFT): fact-checking by examining other sources and internet fact-checking tools; and

green arrow pointing downVertical Reading (PICK): examining the source itself to decide whether it is the best choice for your needs.

*The SIFT method was created by Mike Caulfield under a CC BY 4.0 International License.

SIFT

SIFT

Stop

  • Check your emotions before engaging
  • Do you know and trust the author, publisher, publication, or website?
    • If not, use the following fact-checking strategies before reading, sharing, or using the source in your research

Investigate the source

  • Don’t focus on the source itself for now
  • Instead, read laterally
    • Learn about the source’s author, publisher, publication, website, etc. from other sources, such as Wikipedia

Find better coverage

  • Focus on the information rather than getting attached to a particular source
  • If you can’t determine whether a source is reliable, trade up for a higher quality source
  • Professional fact checkers build a list of sources they know they can trust

Trace claims to the original context

  • Identify whether the source is original or re-reporting
  • Consider what context might be missing in re-reporting
  • Go “upstream” to the original source
    • Was the version you saw accurate and complete?

PICK

PICK

Purpose / Genre / Type

  • Determine the type of source (book, article, website, social media post, etc.)
    • Why and how it was created? How it was reviewed before publication?
  • Determine the genre of the source (factual reporting, opinion, ad, satire, etc.)
  • Consider whether the type and genre are appropriate for your information needs

Information Relevance / Usefulness

  • Consider how well the content of the source addresses your specific information needs
    • Is it directly related to your topic?
    • How does it help you explore a research interest or develop an argument?

Creation Date

  • Determine when the source was first published or posted
    • Is the information in the source (including cited references) up-to-date?
  • Consider whether newer sources are available that would add important information

Knowledge-Building

  • Consider how this source relates to the body of knowledge on the topic
    • Does it echo other experts’ contributions? Does it challenge them in important ways?
    • Does this source contribute something new to the conversation?
  • Consider what voices or perspectives are missing or excluded from the conversation
    • Does this source represent an important missing voice or perspective on the topic?
    • Are other sources available that better include those voices or perspectives?
  • How does this source help you to build and share your own knowledge?

Creative Commons License SIFT & PICK by Ellen Carey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Last updated 4/11/23.