Evaluating Sources: SIFT (The Four Moves)
Designed by Mike Caulfield
Attributions: This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The remaining items on this page are adapted from Mike Caulfield's materials and Clark College Libraries, with a CC BY 4.0 license.
Stop
The first "move" is the most straight forward. When you open a new source, ask yourself:
1) Do I know this source, the reputation, reliability, and credibility? If you cannot say "yes" to these questions, continue to the second "move".
2) When you begin the factchecking process, it's easy to get distracted by all the information you find. You may want to "stop", remind yourself of your purpose or intent, then determine how to proceed.
Investigate
The basic idea of this "move" is simple: Know what you are reading / viewing before taking time to read / view it. Who published the material? What is their connection to the topic? Is there a reason to trust (or suspect) this source?
Open new tabs and conduct quick searches on Google, Wikipedia, or some of the fact checker sites linked below to scrutinize your source.
Find Better Coverage
Take a moment to look at other coverage of the same claims, noting sources you've already deemed reliable. Scan multiple sources and seek a consensus. What facts and claims are you able to verify from a variety of sources?
Return to the Fact Checking sites above. Take note of trusted sources; you will save time when you assemble reliable fact checking sites to begin your research.
Trace Claims & Connect to Your Original Context
Thinking about context is essential to considering what you find on the Internet. "In some cases...trace the claim, quote, or media back to the source, so you can see it in it’s original context and get a sense if the version you saw was accurately presented." What has been truncated, stripped away, or removed from what you are reading or viewing? What is the full context of the event, claim, video, etc.?
Why SIFT?
"I" - Tricks & Tips in Action
"F" - Find better coverage by "trading up"
"T" - Trace claims; watch the process in action