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News and Current Affairs: Getting Started

Getting Started

About this guide

Evaluating News Sources

Unlike scholarly sources (like academic books and peer reviewed journal articles), popular sources (like newspapers, reviews, blogs, tweets, etc) are not original research, instead tending to be either opinion-based or written about other people’s original research.

These materials are fine to be used to illustrate a point, or for otherwise current news, but not to build your argument.

Evaluate web sources very carefully before including them in your research. The main conditions for evaluating websites are:

  • Who is the author? It is important to check the author's credentials to determine whether he/she has the knowledge and authority to supply credible information. Check to see if any contact details are provided.
  • How current is the information? See when the document was created and when it was last updated.
  • What is his/her interest in the material? Can you detect any bias in the content and are you able to determine the purpose of the site? Check the address to identify the type of organisation producing the document. Be aware the commercial interests and some politically motivated sites may not represent a balanced view.
  • What sort of content is there? Can the content be considered comprehensive and of good quality? Does it provide links to other documents? Check on the audience the information is aimed at (e.g. primary school students or university students).

Fake news is not new, but increasing discussions of "fake news" have surrounded political campaigns and the rise of satire news publications. 

It is important to be aware that not all "news" published on the internet is reliable, and similarly, that not all news claimed to be "fake news" is in fact fake. And just because you disagree with the news piece doesn't make it fake.

Fake news can include content created by non-news organisations to drive web users towards ads ('clickbait') or to spread false information (rumours, conspiracy theories, propaganda etc).

See also: Filter Bubbles & Fake News  /  Search Engines & Results

Tips for critically evaluating information sources - courtesy of www.FactCheck.org and IFLA.

  • SIFT: Sorting truth from fiction
    • STOP! - do you know and trust the website, source or author of the information?
    • Investigate the source - figure out where the information is from. Is the source an expert?
    • Find trusted coverage - cross-check the claims against other sources
    • Trace it back - find the original source or context; has it been reported correctly?

There are a number of websites devoted to fact checking news. A select few have be identified below.

If you come across another fact checking website and want to know if you can rely on it, check if the International Fact-Checking Network has accredited the website.

  • The Conversation FactCheck
    An Australian based website. All FactChecks are blind reviewed by a second expert.
  • Climate Feedback
    A worldwide network of scientists sorting fact from fiction in climate change media coverage.
  • Full Fact
    The UK's independent fact checking charity.
  • Citizen Evidence Lab
    Created by Amnesty International. Focus on validating video content.
  • NewsGuard
    Run by veteran journalists - rates the credibility of news websites and tracks online misinformation.
  • Washington Post Fact Checker
    A fact checking site with a focus on American politics.
  • Snopes
    Founded by David Mikkelson - the oldest and largest fact-checking site on the Internet, widely regarded by journalists, folklorists, and laypersons alike as one of the world’s essential resources.
  • Bellingcat
    C​​itizen-led journalism - investigates using open-source information such as videos and maps.

Information Essentials: Evaluating Sources of Information

Module 3: Evaluating Sources of Information

Avoid using poor quality information in your assignments and evaluate your sources