LibGuides: SIFT Instruction (No Quiz): START HERE!

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Start Here!

Hello! This module is set up to mimic an in-person Library Instruction experience. The topics and activities will introduce the SIFT Method, developed by Mike Caulfield for evaluating web sources.

I am your Librarian, Meredith Tummeti, and my contact information is located in the box to the left, below the navigation menu. At any time, if you need help with concepts or finding sources, please reach out to me or the library.

The plan for this session/module:

Learn about the SIFT Method
- (S)top! Check your emotions.
- (I)nvestigate the source.
- (F)ind alternative coverage.
- (T)race all claims back to original content/source.
SIFT in Action with practice examples.
Use SIFT on a web source related to your research topic.

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Evaluating Websites using the SIFT method

What is a credible/trustworthy source online? How can we tell? All of us ask these questions. The truth is, we need to evaluate everything we look at to determine if we can trust it, especially websites.

The good news is using the SIFT method can help you decide.

Watch the following video to learn more:

Online Verification Skills - Video 1: Introductory Video by CTRL-F. Video is closed captioned and a transcript is available on YouTube. (Approximately 3 minutes.)

A Note before we get started learning the SIFT method:

SIFT is intended as an evaluation method for general content found on the open web that may come from news outlets, information sites, educational organizations, etc. It is possible to occasionally find scholarly articles on the open web, like peer-reviewed journal articles or original academic research articles, that may be indexed in government or openly funded databases accessed though the open web. Your investigation of the source, should lead you to identify it as such. More often than not, the peer review process that many scholarly articles go though is a way to establish credibility, so continuing to do a SIFT evaluation becomes extra work for you. With more practice over time, you will begin to recognize the format of these scholarly articles and use your judgement as to whether you need to continue to evaluate them.

Additionally, content found through the Kirk Library website, including OneSearch and the databases and resources, have been selected by Kirk Library librarians to be credible sources for your use for academic assignments. SIFT is not intended to evaluate library resources, but general content found on the open web.

A Note for Clarity

The SIFT method is for use with resources found on the open web, mostly websites that are providing news or information. When finding an article on the open web, you will use a search engine of your choice, like Google, Edge, Safari, Firefox, Duck Duck Go, etc. I use Google for my demonstrations. Remember, OneSearch is not a search engine that searches the open web, it is a discovery tool that only finds library resources.