Searching for any information on the internet can be an adventure! Evaluating the authority, usefulness, and reliability of the information you find is a crucial step in the research process. This page provides tips for evaluating sources for relevance, reliability, and usefulness.

SIFT is a method of evaluating online information developed by Mike Caulfield of Washington State University Vancouver. This infographic shows the steps of SIFT: Stop, investigate the source, find trusted coverage, trace claims, quotes and media to the original context.

Learn more about SIFT:

This video (3.5 minutes) from University of Louisville Libraries Citizen Literacy Project describes the practice of "lateral reading," a strategy used by professional fact-checkers to investigate the reliability of online sources.