Banned Books, Censorship, and the Right to Read

The SIFT method is an evaluation strategy developed by Mike Caulfield, to help determine whether content can be trusted for credible or reliable sources of information. All SIFT information on this page is adapted from his materials with a CC BY 4.0 license.

With rampant misinformation and disinformation it can be hard to identify which sources are credible. Using the SIFT method can help.

S - Stop

Before sharing an article or video STOP. Headlines are designed to elicit an emotional response. Is the headline an accurate reflection of the topic being covered. 

Consider what you already know about the topic and the source. Is the information coming from a known author or outlet? Continue to Investigate the source, Find the information from a different source, and Trace quotes, claims, and data back to the original context/source.

I - Investigate the Source

F - Find Better Coverage

T - Trace quotes, claims, and data back to the original context and source

CRAAP is an acronymn that stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. This is a method you can use to evaluate your sources.

Currency: The timeliness of the information

• When was the information published or posted?
• Has there been a revision or update to this information?
• Is the information currrent or out-of-date for your research?
• Do the provided links work?

Relevance: Does the information provided match your needs

• Doees the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Is the information written in a way you understand
• Have you looked at other sources before deciding to use this one?

Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content

• Where does the information come from?
• Is the information supported by evidence?
• Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
• Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
• Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
• Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?

Authority: the source of the information

• Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
• Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
• What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
• What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
• Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
• Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?
  •  examples:
    • .com (commercial), .edu (educational), .gov (U.S. government)
    • .org (nonprofit organization), or
    • .net (network)

Purpose: the reason the information exists

• What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
• Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
• Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?
• Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
• Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?

Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How.

This method, sometimes called the 5W's, 5W1H or the 6W's are a series of questions that are designed to gather information and prompt immediate critiical analysis of information. Each question should begin with one of the critical words:  Who, What, Where, When, Why, or How and should require an answer that includes factual inofrmation.

Examples of WWWWWH questions:

• Who wrote this article?
• What is the topic covered?
• Where did this happen?
• When was it published?
• Why is this the best resource?
• How is this piece relevant to my topic?

While you may not need to use all 6 questions, they are designed to have you interact with information by answering basic relevant questions.