- Stop and think. Ask yourself questions. What is this website? Is the author credible? Does the author/website have an angle? (example: If you find a blog from Mr. Reese saying why libraries are the best, you need to keep in mind that Mr. Reese might be trying to convince you of this. As a librarian, he may be biased.)
- Investigate the source. Look at where the information is coming from. Who's the author? Does the website have an "About" page? Has it been updated recently? Check out the website footer--does it have a copyright notice? If you're having trouble finding information on the website/author, try the next step.
- Find better coverage. Look for a consensus or a trusted source. Is the information the same? Is there a general consensus amongst trusted sources? Your goal is to gain context for the claim or information presented.
- Trace claims, quotes and media to the original context. Because of instant news coverage and social media, this is extremely important. Information is reposted without it being investigated, which is how misinformation and disinformation spreads. Can you find the original published story? If you see a claim on TikTok, can you find where it originated? Is it cited? It's easy to use a quote out of context, or a set of data with misleading labels. If something seems bizarre, it may be because it's not true. Use Google to try to find the image, quote, video, etc. Can you find the origin of it? Was it actually an image from 40 years ago reposted out of context? Be a detective! Make sure you don't fall into the trap of reposting false information.