SIFT is an acronym that can help you remember a quick method for doing an initial evaluation of a website or other source. The sift method was created by Michael Caulfield.
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"S" Stands for Stop:
- Stop for a minute.
- What do you know about this source?
- What do you know about the reputation of the source?
- Do you know enough to decide whether or not to use it?
- Don't share or use a website unless you know for sure what it is.
- If you don't know enough about the website, use the other steps of SIFT to find out more about it.
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"I" stands for Investigate the Source:
- Find out where the information in the source is coming from.
- Do a quick google search for the name of the website.
- Look up the website in Wikipedia to find out more about it.
- Look up any authors listed in the source to investigate their expertise.
- What can you find out about the reputation of this source?
- Does the source seem worth using or sharing with others?
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"F" stands for Find Trusted Coverage (or Find Better Coverage):
If the reputation of the source doesn't impress you but you are still interested in the information:
- Try searching for a better source on the same topic.
- Try looking at multiple sources on the same topic.
- Does there seem to be a consensus among experts on this topic?
- What is the best source you can find on this topic?
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"T" stands for Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media to the Original Context:
Many things online are not in their original context, which can make it difficult to evaluate credibility.
- Examine your source to see if it may have information that is out of context.
- If your source contains images, are they from another source?
- Could videos or images in your source have been altered from the original?
- If your source contains a video, can you trace where it is from?
- If your source contains quotations, can you check the original source?
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