Research Guides: Evaluating Information: Evaluating Sources

This page links to resources that will help you evaluate information, whether it is online or in-print.

10 Questions for Fake News Detection

This document was created by The News Literacy Project: http://www.thenewsliteracyproject.org/

"News literacy teaches that all information is not created equal. It uses the standards of quality journalism as an aspirational yardstick to determine what information to believe, share and act on. It also fosters an understanding of the role of a free press in a democracy."

Understanding Sources

Check out the "Know Your Sources Infographic" (preview below) to learn more about the characteristics

of the wide range of sources you will find in the library to use in your research.

Working with Sources

Incorporating others' work into your own can be difficult, especially when you are not sure what the conventions are for locating and citing appropriate academic sources. These links can help!

Evaluating Sources
Evaluating Sources guide by Purdue Online Writing Lab.
Using Quotations
Using Quotations PDF guide by Duke University Writing Studio.
Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing guide by Purdue Online Writing Lab.
Citation Builder (NCSU)
Citation Builder tool by NC State University Libraries.

Scholarly Journals Vs. Popular Magazines

Review the slides above to learn how to:

Distinguish between a popular and scholarly source
Identify common characteristics of popular and scholarly articles
Understand the concept of the "peer review" editorial process

Note: Advance slides forward and backward with arrows. Click on to expand to full screen.

Peer Review in 3 Minutes

Peer Review is used by scholarly publications. Experts in the particular field or discipline review the article or study and comment on any flaws or editing details.

They also recommend if the article should be published, needs review, or is not accepted for publication.

Created by North Carolina State University Libraries.

Fact Checking Resources

Politifact
PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics. PolitiFact is run by editors and reporters from the Tampa Bay Times, an independent newspaper in Florida, as is PunditFact, a site devoted to fact-checking pundits. The PolitiFact state sites are run by news organizations that have partnered with the Times. The state sites and PunditFact follow the same principles as the national site.
FactCheck.org
FactCheck is a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Their goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.
snopes.com
The snopes.com website was founded by David Mikkelson, who lives and works in the Los Angeles area. What he began in 1995 as an expression of his interest in researching urban legends has since grown into what is widely regarded by folklorists, journalists, and laypersons alike as one of the World Wide Web's essential resources. The snopes.com web site is (and always has been) a completely independent, self-sufficient entity wholly owned by its operators and funded through advertising revenues. Neither the site nor its operators has ever received monies from (or been engaged in any business or editorial relationship with), any sponsor, investor, partner, political party, religious group, business organization, government agency, or any other outside group or organization.