When you encounter new information, it's important to question the information's accuracy and ask the question, "Is there evidence that supports the claims being made here?" Evidence can come in many varieties: factual data and statistics, expert opinions, credible quotes from reliable sources, research studies and experiments, and specific examples or case studies.
Lateral Reading
Lateral reading refers to the practice of evaluating the credibility of a source by comparing it with other sources. It's essentially stepping away from the initial information and venturing out to see what others are saying about the same topic.
Watch this video to learn more about lateral reading.
Citizen Literacy was created by Robert Detmering, Amber Willenborg, and Terri Holtze for University of Louisville Libraries.
Loaded language and emotional appeals are red flags when checking information source reliability. Here's a quick breakdown:
Loaded Language: These are words with strong emotional connotations used to evoke a certain feeling and cloud judgment. Instead of neutral terms, sources might use words like "catastrophic" instead of "bad" or "heroic" instead of "competent." This can distract from factual information.
Emotional Appeals: This tactic tries to sway you with strong emotions like fear, anger, or patriotism to accept the information without critical thinking. Imagine a website talking about a new scientific discovery using phrases like "This will destroy the environment!" This raises a red flag because facts should speak for themselves.
Both tactics aim to manipulate your feelings rather than present information objectively. A reliable source will focus on presenting facts and evidence, allowing you to form your own conclusions.
Source: Horner, C. G., Galletta, D., Crawford, J., & Shirsat, A. (2021). Emotions: The Unexplored Fuel of Fake News on Social Media. Journal of Management Information Systems, 38(4), 1039–1066. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2021.1990610
Checking the dates of information sources is critical in fact-checking because information can become outdated for several reasons:
New Discoveries: Research and knowledge are constantly evolving. A medical article from ten years ago might not reflect the latest advancements in treatment.
Changing Situations: Dates are especially important for information tied to current events or fast-moving fields like technology. An article on economic trends from last year might not be relevant today.
Evolving Issues: Social and political issues can change over time. An article discussing a social movement might need to be compared to more recent information to see how the movement has progressed.
By checking the dates, you can ensure you're basing your understanding on the most current and accurate information available. Outdated information can lead you astray.