Evaluating Online Information

Let's say your topic is examining how Mariana Enriquez's novels use horror to explore Argentinian history. You find the following articles: 

Cuerpos que aparecen, "cuerpos-escrache": de la posmemoria al trauma y el horror en relatos de Mariana Enriquez/Bodies That Appear, "Escrache-Bodies": From Post-Memory to Trauma and Horror in Short Stories by Mariana Enriquez

An Argentinian allegory: Our Share of Night, by Mariana Enriquez

Scan the article and answer the following questions.

• What is this article about? Jot down any keywords or main ideas that you see.
• Is this a scholarly article or a popular article?
• What differences and similarities do you notice between the two articles?

SIFT stands for Stop, Investigate the Source, Find Better (or Other) Coverage, and Trace Claims. This framework was developed by Mike Caulfield of Washington State University Vancouver to guide people through evaluating information. While it's often used for news articles, it can also be applied to academic articles, novels, films, and more. For the purposes of this guide, we'll be discussing evaluating an academic article (referred to here as the "first source").

1. Stop and consider what you know about the source. For an article discussing the themes in a novel, what do you know about the author or publication? Does the author have credentials in literature or cultural studies? Does the publication/journal have a reputation for a specific viewpoint or ideology? If you're not sure, see if can find information on other websites about the author or publication.

2. Investigate the source. Look at the "About" page for a journal publication, or a website like Wikipedia, to learn more about it. Does it have a specific focus, a reputation for inaccuracy, or a controversial history? Is it a scholarly source or a popular source? Is it self-published? For the author, can you find information about their background, education, and credentials?

3. Find other coverage. The first source is one opinion on the topic, but other authors/researchers might have different opinions. Using the article's bibliography or a library database, search for articles on the same novel/topic and compare the content. Do other articles offer a different perspective?

4. Trace the claim back to its source. Think back to the novel or other primary source referenced in the article. Do the author's claims hold up to your own reading and analysis? Are they ignoring evidence or making exaggerations? After going through these steps, what do you think about the claims in the first source?