Instruction and Research Help
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When confronted with a resource, it's important to be discriminating about whether or not it's presenting up-to-date, unbiased, and verifiable information. You can use this method to review a source for its applicability and reliability to be used in your research.
Review the tabs to the upper-right to learn about the various steps of the SIFT Method. Want a helpful worksheet to use during the process? Click here!
Take a moment to recognize that your reaction is emotional, not factual. When you come across a source, don't let any initial responses to it influence your evaluation of it as a good or a bad resource for your purposes. Instead, consider these questions:
While it's true that anyone can create a source, all sources are not created equal. Reputable sources are going to be developed by verifiable individuals or organizations who are specifically qualified to speak as an authority on the topic. Ask yourself the following questions:
F is for Find.
Deepen your comprehension of the topic by comparing the information in this first source with information available through other sources. This is sometimes called "lateral reading," and it describes the process of reviewing multiple sources to see how all sources are approaching the topic. Consider the following:
This is a way of confirming that your sources have made well-informed decisions about their own research processes. In other words, you want to make sure that they went through the same process that you're going through now! To do this, investigate the following items:
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