Procedure

1. Have students identify an online information source that they could use as part of formal or informal research. This can be a website, article, video, image, or other type of online content. 

2. First, direct students to stop and reflect on what they already know about the topic and the source. Have students ask themselves the following questions:  

   • Does the information from the source align with what you already know? 

   • Do you know the source’s reputation? 

3. Next, have students investigate the source. This can be started within the source by finding the “About Us” or a similar section on the site. Students should also search for information about the source using Google or Wikipedia to see what others say about it. Have students ask themselves the following questions:  

   • What can you find out about the author or creators? 

   • What is their mission or goal? Is there any bias present? 

4. Next, direct students to try to find reliable coverage. To do this, have students try to find the claims from the source corroborated in other reliable news sites or library databases. Have students ask themselves the following questions:  

   • What coverage is available on this topic? 

   • Do other sources say similar things? 

5. Finally, students should trace Claims, Quotes, and Media to their original sources. If a source uses quotes, data, etc. to support its claims, where did that information come from? Use a search engine or database to find the original source of that information. Sometimes data can be misrepresented, so it is important to understand the original context. Have students ask themselves the following questions:  

   • Was the claim or quote fairly represented?

   • Does the information presented support the original context?