You found some sources for your research paper on teenagers, social media, and anxiety. Let's see what you have. Some of your sources are a little bit questionable. This tutorial covers a quick way to evaluate sources as you're searching. It'll actually save you time.


It's called the SIFT method of source evaluation. SIFT consists of the following steps: Stop, Investigate, Find better coverage, and Trace claims back to the original context. You may not need all these steps to evaluate every source, but they're good tools to have in your research toolbox. The first step is Stop.


Perhaps the most important thing you can do is pause for a moment and ask yourself, "What does my gut say about this information?" If you have any doubts, move to the next step of SIFT, Investigate. Sometimes called lateral reading, it can be helpful to do a simple Google search of what others say about a source of information. You don't have to dig very deep; oftentimes, you can just look at the Google knowledge panel and see an organization's Wikipedia article.


This is a good start for identifying if an organization has an agenda—something you need to be aware of to accurately evaluate a piece of information. It's kind of like if I ask you what kind of student you are, then I asked your instructor and your parents. I'd get three different answers. Just looking at the about us page of a website doesn't give you the full picture.


Doing a quick Google search to see what others say provides a fuller view of an organization's mission. If you find that your original source is a little bit questionable or maybe not appropriate for academic research, but you still want to see if you can locate a source with similar information, go to the next step: Find Better Coverage.


See if a newspaper of record has covered the information. For example, what are the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal saying? Are multiple reputable media outlets reporting the same thing? If so, use one of them as your source. And, finally, it can be helpful to trace claims back to their original context. Did you ever play the telephone game as a kid? Someone starts the game by whispering a phrase to the first person.


As the phrase is passed from one person to the next, it morphs into something completely different from what was intended. The same can be true on the internet as information is re-reported, reposted, and just generally recycled. Each filter changes the meaning—whether intentionally or not. Tracing information back to the source is the surest way to find the original meaning and context of a piece of information.


And, remember, if you have questions about evaluating sources, you can always ask a librarian. 


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