Forget about whether what you're looking at is true or false, or even how it makes you feel. Many headlines you see online are designed to elicit a strong response to get more clicks. Instead, STOP and ask yourself what you know about the information being shared and who is sharing it. Do you recognize the website/author that's sharing the information? Do you trust them? Do they have a reputation? If you don't know, before you continue reading or share the information, use the other moves to help get a sense of what you're looking at.
Once you start digging deeper into your fact-checking you may start feeling overwhelmed with the amount of information you're finding. Take some time to STOP and refocus on what your end goal is with the original information you found. Was your intent to repost or share an interesting story? Then maybe a brief check of the author/publisher is enough. Are you planning on using the information as part of an assignment or wanting to do a deep dive into claims being made? Then maybe a more thorough vetting of the information using all 4 SIFT moves is appropriate.
When evaluating online content, instead of focusing all of your energy on whether or not what you're reading is plausible and whether or not you agree with the viewpoint, first spend some time gathering context.
Consider the following three types of context:
1. The context of the source.
► What's the reputation of the source of information you've found online?
2. The context of the claim
► What have others said about the claim? Is it part of a larger story?
3. The context of you
► What is your level of expertise in the area? What is your interest in this information?
The information on this research guide is adapted from Mike Caulfield's materials with a CC BY 4.0 license, CTRL-F Verification Skills Module, presented by CIVIX, and Caulfield, M., & Wineburg, S. S. (2023). Verified: How to think straight, get duped less, and make better decisions about what to believe online. The University of Chicago Press.