Web Evaluation & News Sources

The SIFT Method is from Mike Caulfield, a faculty member at UW's iSchool and former research scientist at the UW Center for an Informed Public.​

The SIFT Method is complementary to Lateral Reading. Both can be used. In fact, "Stop, Investigate, Find Better Coverage, and Trace Claims (SIFT) are separate yet related​ moves that fact-checkers may use to evaluate web sources" (Faix & Fyn 2023). 

Stop

If something seems false, inflammatory, especially if it causing you an emotional reaction or an "irrepressible urge to share", you should stop (Ward 2022). Pause and notice. This can be really hard when clickbait is so tempting to us, or being "in the know."  Also, don't share until you know what it is.​

Investigate the Source

"​​The focus of this move is for a student to know what they’re reading before they read it" (Ward 2022). What is the reputation of the site you are on? This move involves "seeking more information to understand the credentials, potential bias, and agenda of the authors, as well as the reputation of the authors and the source" (Faix & Fyn). 

For example, just because something is on a .org website does not make it reliable. You may need to dig a bit deeper. Mike Caulfield recommends looking up the organization or site on Wikipedia.

Find Better Coverage

This is where lateral reading can come in handy. Look for a source you trust, or better yet, sources that you trust. "seek stronger or more trusted​sources or to find general consensus about a topic or claim"​ (Faix & Fyn 2023).​ According to Ward, "one important part of the move is to use credible fact checking sites such as Snopes and Politifact" (2022). 

Trace Claims

Follow your sources to their source."Evaluate sources by following quotes, claims, or media back to their original context and to check if text, images, videos, or sound recordings have been altered from the original format" (Faix & Fyn 2023).

More Resources

For more on the SIFT Method, check out these links to the work of Mike Caulfield, Director of Blended and Networked Learning at Washington State University Vancouver:

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