Identify Sources Used to Support the Claim

Look for Supporting Sources

• Links: Click to make sure they work and go where they should.
• Citations: Search the web for article titles.
• Description of Source: Search the web using descriptive words from the text.
• No Evidence: Search the web to independently verify the claim.
• See the Video Tutorials tab for more on how to find the original reporting source.

Ask Yourself

• Are the sources current enough for your needs?
• Are cited/linked sources reliable?
• If you are not familiar with the cited source, go back to the first question to investigate the source.
• If you can't locate a cited source but would like to track it down, ask a librarian for assistance.

Verify Information Wasn't Manipulated or Made-up

Ctrl+F It

• Open the referenced source in a new tab and use Ctrl+F to search the document for key terms in the claim.
• Did the author quote or paraphrase the referenced source without changing the original meaning?

Read Laterally

• Open a new tab. Can the claim to independently verified? In other words, can you find this same claim in different sources?
• See the Video Tutorials tab for advanced claim checks.

Check for Errors in Reasoning

Common Errors

• False Cause (correlation ≠ causation): Mistaking what is happening with why it is happening
• Single Cause (oversimplification): Attributing a single cause when multiple causes are in play
• Hasty Generalization (jumping to conclusions): Drawing conclusions on too small a sample size
• See the Video Tutorials tab for more on bad or irrelevant evidence, errors in reasoning, misleading graphs, and reverse searching images.

Check Your Assumptions and Biases

Look for Additional and Disconfirming Information

• Look for factors or perspectives that weren't considered by the author.
• Challenge your confirmation bias by seeking disconfirming information. 
• Does this additional information lead you to draw a different conclusion?
• See the Check Your Bias tab for more information