Practice “lateral reading,” a strategy used by professional fact-checkers to investigate the reliability of online sources. Rather than going through a website to determine whether it's credible, open up a separate tab and investigate publisher, author, images, and any cited information to get a clearer picture of where the information is coming from. Learn more with this Evaluating Online Sources through Lateral Reading Handout developed by Robert Detmering, Amber Willenborg, and Terri Holtze for University of Louisville Libraries.
There's also extensive and well researched curriculum, Civic Online Reasoning, developed by the Stanford History and Education Group.
Wineburg, S., and McGrew,S. Lateral Reading: Reading Less and Learning More when Evaluating Digital Information. Stanford History Education Group Working Paper No. 2017-A1, Oct. 9, 2017.
INITIAL APPRAISAL
A. Author
B. Date of Publication
C. Edition or Revision
Is this a first edition of this publication or not? Further editions indicate a source has been revised and updated to reflect changes in knowledge, include omissions, and harmonize with its intended reader's needs. Also, many printings or editions may indicate that the work has become a standard source in the area and is reliable. If you are using a Web source, do the pages indicate revision dates?
D. Publisher
Note the publisher. If the source is published by a university press, it is likely to be scholarly. Although the fact that the publisher is reputable does not necessarily guarantee quality, it does show that the publisher may have high regard for the source being published.
E. Title of Journal
Is this a scholarly or a popular journal? This distinction is important because it indicates different levels of complexity in conveying ideas. If you need help in determining the type of journal, see Distinguishing Scholarly from Non-Scholarly Periodicals. Or you may wish to check your journal title in the latest edition of Katz's Magazines for Libraries (Olin Ref Z 6941 .K21, shelved at the reference desk) for a brief evaluative description.
CONTENT ANALYSIS
Having made an initial appraisal, you should now examine the body of the source. Read the preface to determine the author's intentions for the book. Scan the table of contents and the index to get a broad overview of the material it covers. Note whether bibliographies are included. Read the chapters that specifically address your topic. Reading the article abstract and scanning the table of contents of a journal or magazine issue is also useful. As with books, the presence and quality of a bibliography at the end of the article may reflect the care with which the authors have prepared their work.
A. Intended Audience
What type of audience is the author addressing? Is the publication aimed at a specialized or a general audience? Is this source too elementary, too technical, too advanced, or just right for your needs?
B. Objective Reasoning
C. Coverage
D. Writing Style
Is the publication organized logically? Are the main points clearly presented? Do you find the text easy to read, or is it stilted or choppy? Is the author's argument repetitive?
Created by:Olin Library Reference
Research & Learning Services
Cornell University Library
Ithaca, NY, USA
Boise State University, Albertsons Library has received permission from the Cornell University Library to reproduce and adapt this guide for the library's own use.