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ENG 151: Information Literacy - Source Evaluation

The SIFT Method

Video length: 3 min 34 sec -- Video Source: University of Louisville Libraries CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Lateral reading is the process of using other sources to help you verify the credibility or accuracy of a source.

The SIFT Method is a four-step process of evaluating a source through lateral reading. This method works well for online formats and popular sources.

SIFT stands for Stop, Investigate the Source, Find Better Coverage, and Trace Back to the Original Source.

Click through the tabs on this box to learn more about each of the four steps.

1. Stop

This first step asks you to pause for a moment before automatically trusting a source and accepting it as true. Don't share it or use it for your research until you know more.

Ask yourself:

  • Why does this information exist?
  • What do you know about the author, website, or organization?
  • What do others have to say about them?

2. Investigate the Source

This step asks you to take action on a source. Become a fact checker and read laterally. Go outside the source to learn what other sources say about it.

Source

Before you read the content, learn more about where the information is coming from.

  • What is the purpose of the information? Why was the information created? Who is the audience?
  • Who are the people publishing the information?
  • How is the author qualified to write on the topic? What can you learn about their background, credentials, or affiliations?
  • What do others have to say about them?
  • Sometimes news is summarized or repurposed - can you find the original source?
  • What kinds of sources are they citing? Have they been represented accurately and fairly?

Fact Check Headlines or Claims

  • Can you find coverage of the claim from other sources? Do other sources say the same thing?
  • Has it already been fact checked? Many reliable media outlets and organizations address claims being made today and spend a great deal of time fact checking information.

Here's one easy strategy for you to see if something has already been fact checked: just copy and paste a headline into a new browser tab followed by the words “fact check.” 

Example:

This screenshot was shared widely on various social media platforms this past summer. The claim is that it was written by the wife of a CEO who was seen on a video cam with someone else at a Coldplay concert on July 16, 2025.

Can you determine if this "formal statement" is legitimate?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images, Video, and Media

These can also be altered, taken out of context, or misrepresented. This happens frequently on social media. Do a Google reverse image search to locate the origins of photo.

  • On your computer: Right-click over the image and select Search This Image With Google Lens from the pop-up menu. You'll see where that photo has been used and often find its origins.
  • On an iPhone: Tap the image, then click the share button along the bottom. Scroll down a bit and select Search on Google.
  • On an Android phone: Open your Google app, then go to the website with the image. Touch and hold the image, then tap Search image with Google Lens.

3. Find Better Coverage

Think about how much or what kind of information you need. Other coverage might be more in-depth, more reputable, more varied, or more current.

Also consider:

  • Does the information contribute something new to the conversation on the topic? 
  • Whose voices or perspectives are missing? 
  • How well does this source meet your specific information need? 

 

How to Find Better Coverage:

  • Consult a variety of sources for multiple perspectives and voices. 
  • Search for content that is more reliable or more in depth. Try library databases for scholarly sources, eBooks, primary sources, and more.

4. Trace Back to the Original Source

Good information should cite their sources. Scholarly sources will have a list of references at the end. Online popular sources may link to their sources.

  • Click on the links within the article. Are their sources credible? Or do they link to other information within their organization?
  • Was the original source accurately represented? Was anything left out or taken out of context? 

Other Methods of Evaluating Information

Other methods of evaluating information involve using checklists to consider specific criteria. Common criteria to consider includes Substance, Currency, Authority, Relevance, Accuracy, and Bias (SCARAB). A checklist of criteria like this may be better for evaluating more scholarly sources -- like scholarly articles, reports, or books.