In our online world, any rules that defined "the news that's fit to print" have become increasingly blurry. When anyone can publish, nothing is off limits, and everything can look like "news," what online articles and sites should we value as credible sources? How do we detect bias or even outright falsehood? How do we establish our own credibility as scholars?
For every exciting, innovative piece that truly opens up previously silenced or overlooked avenues for insight and conversation and research, there are many more distractions, dead ends, and even deceptions that play on unsuspecting readers.
Below are credible sites—we promise—that offer guidelines for evaluating online sources and starting points for understanding the larger concern:
Academic Sources
How Should Research Sources Be Evaluated: when we build our list of sources too quickly, we risk citing claims and data that do not stand up under closer scrutiny. This UMGC resource offers links and a checklist for how to evaluate research sources.
Evaluating Resources: Introduction: this guide from Walden University contains a list of recorded webinars on evaluating sources. Notable topics include the important aspects of evaluation, evaluating library materials, and evaluating digital resources.
Research Refresher: Evaluating Credibility: this resource from BYU covers the essential elements when evaluating a source's credibility, particularly for websites.
Evaluate Sources: Kansas State University Libraries provides two methods for evaluating sources: the “Big 5 Criteria” and the CRAAP method. It also includes resources for fact-checking, understanding website domains, and a section on political biases.
If you need more assistance, Purdue OWL has a page on getting started with evaluating sources, as well as general guidelines and a focus on evaluating digital sources.
JMU Libraries also has a guide on evaluating sources that features more mnemonics.
Media Resources
Is My Source Credible?: in addition to covering scholarly concerns, this guide from UMGC points out questions to ask when evaluating resources and strategies for finding truth in the news.
James Madison University Media and News Literacy Library Guide: pages on "Media Consumption," "News Literacy," "Tools and Tips," "Deceptive Imagery," and "Media Representation."
Harvard Fake News Library Guide: Fake News, Misinformation, and Propaganda: introduction to how misinformation is spread and tactics for identifying misinformation.
UC Berkeley Fake News Library Guide: another useful library-created resource.
Fact-checking Sites
Does a claim seem too good to be true? Has there been/should there be an Internet fire about something someone has said? Factcheck.org and Politifact.com model the kind of work you might need to do to evaluate a source. Both of these reputable sites also offer search functions: type in the speaker/writer, the issue, and/or the quotation.
