It’s no coincidence that International Fact-Checking Day falls immediately after the tomfoolery of April Fools’ Day!
Created by the International Fact-Checking Network, this day focuses on the importance of truth, accuracy and critical thinking in the digital age. Today also highlights the essential work of corporate proofreaders (and yes, ProofingQueen and other corporate proofreaders are fact-checkers too!) and of professional fact-checkers who verify online information, including claims made by the media, politicians and users of social media.
Guess what? You can also learn how to spot misinformation, identify fakes and verify sources before sharing content online.
One way to do this is to use CRAAP Test, an evaluation method designed by librarian Sarah Blakeslee at the Meriam Library California State University, Chico. The CRAAP Test contains five elements:
C – Currency: The timeliness of the information
R – Relevance: The importance of the information
A – Authority: The source of the information
A – Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content
P – Purpose: The reason the information exists
Or use the SIFT method, an evaluation strategy developed by digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield to help determine whether online content can be trusted as a credible source. The SIFT method contains four elements:
S – Stop before you read or share an article or video
I – Investigate the source before sharing the information
F – Find better coverage or other sources that may or may not support the original claim
T – Trace claims, quotes and media to their original context
For more details about the CRAAP Test and the SIFT method, watch this space for upcoming posts!