Get Your Facts Straight

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Sixth grade students are embarking on their Genius Hour projects, and with the exploration of new ideas and interests comes a need for instruction on information literacy. Students visited the library to hone their research skills, first learning about how Google search works and the importance of constructing quality search terms. They also learned about evaluating web resources to determine credibility and put what they learned into practice.

Evaluating sources for reliability is not just something that students must learn for scholarly research. It is essential to give time and consideration in determining credibility of websites as we seek reliable sources in the thick and complex web of information available online. There are some key components to consider and questions to ask yourself when determining credibility of a website or article.

1. Timeliness: When looking for a source for research purposes, consider how important it is that the source be current. If the topic is related to science, technology, social issues, or medicine, it is very important that the source was published or updated very recently. When sharing news and events on social media, check the date to be sure what you’re sharing is current. Have you ever seen the reposting of an article announcing the news of a celebrity’s death or other major event that is actually several years old? Check the date to avoid being the person who shares outdated news.
2. Relevance: Titles can sometimes be deceiving. Determine if the source is pertinent to your search and providing you with the information you need. Whether citing a source for a project or sharing an article with friends, examine the entire source, read the entire article, and then decide if it’s worth using or sharing.
3. Source: Questions like, “Who wrote the article? What makes them qualified to publish on this topic? What are their reasons for writing it?” are what any good researcher will ask. Credentials of the source should be easy to locate and verify. If the author or organization is not trustworthy, then it is not a credible source.
4. Accuracy: Reliable sources can be verified. If it sounds too good/bad to be true, check to see if the same information can be found from other sources. Visit a fact-checking website to see if that outlandish news story has any truth to it. Stop the perpetual cycle of misinformation being shared; take the time to verify information before you cite or share it.
5. Purpose: These important questions, “Why is this information out there? Does it only inform and state facts? Is the purpose to persuade or convince? Is there bias? What are the motives of the author or organization sharing this information?” help you verify that the purpose of the information aligns with what you are seeking.

Taking the time to evaluate a website or article before citing it for a project or paper is an essential part of the research process that students must learn. Keeping the same concepts in mind when evaluating news in print, online, or televised, and the links continually shared on social media; this will make us responsible consumers of information.

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Tiffany Whitehead

Tiffany has been an educator for nine years and joins the Episcopal faculty this year as the Upper and Middle School Librarian. A lifelong resident of Baton Rouge, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Southeastern Louisiana University and her Masters in Educational Technology Leadership from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. She has served as the President for ISTE’s Librarians Network and was recognized as one of ISTE’s 2014 Emerging Leaders. Tiffany is National Board Certified in Library Media and was named one of the 2014 Library Journal Movers & Shakers. She was the 2016 recipient of the Louisiana Library Media Specialist Award. Tiffany speaks regularly at state, national, and international conferences on school library and technology topics.