Chapter 4: Fact Checking & Misinformation
4.3 Stop
The first step in SIFT is also the most simple: stop reading and consider why you’re engaging with this source instead of another. What drew you to this source, and how is it applicable for your needs? Specifically, you’ll want to stop and check these two things:
Check yourself
Everyone brings their own expectations to their research. These expectations can affect every step of your research process, from the search terms you use to the sources you choose to cite. For example, you may have a preconceived notion of what you think the research should show, but this may not be what the research actually shows.
If a source confirms or denies what you believe to be true, you may have an emotional reaction (e.g. anger, sadness, vindication, excitement). Use your reaction as a reminder to check yourself and make sure your emotions are not affecting the sources you use and how you use them.
Checking your emotions and reading beyond the headlines and summary information for an article can help you avoid using or sharing inaccurate information, whether it’s for a class project or in conversations with friends on social media. You’ve likely had friends or family share an article on social media and had the comments explode. How many of the commenters do you think actually read the article? It’s possible that even the person who shared it didn’t read the whole article before reacting to the headline. Fir example, consider the title in Figure 4.1. This is an example of a headline that might easily go viral, but a simple Google search will verify the headline is not true.
Make it a habit to check your emotions and ensure that they aren’t affecting the choices you make in your research or life. After you check yourself, you can move on to evaluate your source using the other steps in SIFT. Verifying the truth of a source you agree with or finding additional sources that present a different perspective (even if it may upset you or contradict your beliefs) can strengthen your case.[1]
Check that you’re on task
Stop is also a reminder to stay on task. It is easy to get lost exploring interesting tangents while researching. As soon as you find yourself getting distracted, stop and remember your original goal. For a paper or project, this means focusing on your research question and sources that are directly related to it.
Let’s say you want to find examples of accessible interior design for a class project. As you’re searching, you stumble upon this article: “12 Incredible Dog Houses for Your Best Friend.” From here, you might decide to start exploring more examples of dog house design, or you can stop and ask whether this article is really adding anything to your project. Yes, it’s a fun distraction, but you still need to finish your research. By cultivating a habit of checking yourself regularly, you can avoid situations where a fun distraction becomes a lost afternoon.
In addition to checking that you’re on task