ENG 130 - Writing in the University (Ramsey): Fact Checking & Evaluating Sources

When confronted with a claim that may not be 100% true, the following four moves get you closer to the truth:

1. Check for previous work: Look around to see if someone else has already fact-checked the claim or provided an analysis.
2. Go upstream to the source:  Most web content is not original. Get to the original source of the claim to understand the "trustworthiness" of the information.
3. Read laterally:  Once you get to the source of a claim, read what other people say about the source (publication, author, etc.). The truth is in the network.
4. Circle back: If you get lost, hit dead ends, or find yourself going down an increasingly confusing rabbit hole, back up and start over.

And there’s also a habit:

Check your emotions: "When you feel strong emotion–-happiness, anger, pride, vindication–-and that emotion pushes you to share a “fact” with others, STOP. Above all, these are the claims that you must fact-check."

From Mike Caulfield, https://hapgood.us/

Check out our research guide dedicated to fact-checking, fake news, and media literacy: