Research Process Tutorial: Evaluate & Choose sources

Step 2: Evaluate Information that has not been filtered by a library database.

Hint: Do all your resources pass an evaluation test?

This Help Guide will walk you through each stage of the research process.

CHOOSE the most relevant, trustworthy, and current resources.

R is for RATIONALE, the reason it exists.  This will also let you know what the content BIAS is.
A is for AUTHORITY, is the author an EXPERT? Who says?
D is for DATE, is it CURRENT information? Some theories change in days.
A is for ACCURACY of information. Is the information you are receiving COMPLETE and IN CONTEXT, or cherry-picked and deceiving?
R is for RELEVANT, this could also be the first thing.  If it isn't useful for your goal, don't waste your time by reading.

If information doesn't pass a RADAR test, it is probably not worth your time.

More mnemonics

Caution: If you decide to use content that is unreliable, biased, or from an anonymous source, be careful to explain why you are still using such untrustworthy information.  

Watch out for manipulation: It seems like everyone on the internet is trying to sell a thing or an idea. Does the story tug at your heart-strings?  Make you angry? Scared? Evoke strong emotions?  That is a good time to stop, sit, and SIFT.

STOP: Think. Follow the money: Who put up the money to get this content published? What are they risking if they give misinformation?  What are they trying to sell to you?  Who benefits if you act based on this opinion?
INVESTIGATE THE SOURCE: Do they know what they are talking about? How do you know?  What is their affiliation? Is this an informed opinion? Is it heavily biased? Look at the About Us page to find hints of bias.
FIND BETTER COVERAGE: Can you find a more authoritative source of information? Find and compare multiple sources that are not just repeating content. Look for consensus.
TRACE CLAIMS, QUOTES AND MEDIA TO THE ORIGINAL CONTEXT. If there is no citation or attribution, you can copy and paste significant text inside quotation marks and search the internet to find out where the content came from.  Was the version you saw accurately presented?