Are you familiar with the website or source of the information? Is it reputable?
If you are and you know it is reputable, you may be able to stop here. If you have any doubt at all, move to the next steps.
INVESTIGATE THE SOURCE
If you are not familiar with the source, do some searching to find out if it is credible. Take 60 seconds to figure out where the source is coming from.
FIND BETTER COVERAGE
If the source is low quality and your aim is to just verify the claims, do a quick search for the claims to see if there is consensus with other, more reputable sources. If the claim is covered by multiple outlets, that's a good sign.
TRACE CLAIMS
Usually, the original research, reporting, or photo is available on the web. By going to the original source of the claim, you can get a story that is more complete, complex, and accurate.
SIFT Method
The SIFT Method is a series of actions one can take in order to determine the validity and reliability of claims and sources on the web. Each letter in “SIFT” corresponds to one of the “Four Moves":
