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WHE 2850

Stop-Investigate-Find-Trace

SIFT infographic

Tools for Evaluation

How can we know if the information we found is reliable?

There are many methods, tips, and mnemonics for evaluating information. A few diagrams to help you along the way are shown below. The main point of all of them: ask questions!

  • Who wrote the article? What's their relationship to the subject in question?
  • Is this the most current information? Do you need to have the most current information possible?
  • What can you learn (if anything) about the place this item appears? Is it a publication, a website, something else? Can you find the original source?
    • What's the scientific evidence behind this story?
  • What do others have to say about this particular piece of information?