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Dual Credit ENG 151 - SIFT Method for Evaluating Sources

This guide explains how to use the SIFT Method for evaluating sources. SIFT stands for Stop, Investigate the claim, Find better coverage, and Trace back to the original source.

Information Formats

What Kind of Information Do You Have?

Knowing more about your information can help you evaluate it properly. Start by identifying its format and then the source type.

Both the information format and source type can tell you more about:

  • How the information was created.
  • Its intended audience.
  • What kind of review and publication process it went through.

Format

Format refers to how information is packaged. Some common information formats include:

  • Scholarly journal
  • Book
  • Newspaper
  • Video
  • Blog
  • Encyclopedia
  • Even other people!

Watch the following video (5 min. 54 sec) for a closer look at the information cycle and information formats.