Get Research Help
Librarian
SIFT Class Handout
Digital versions of the in class handout. You can use this handout to quickly reference the four moves of SIFT and corresponding actions you can take.
- CHEM 1511 SIFT Quick ReferenceMS Word Document
- CHEM 1511 SIFT Quick ReferencePDF Document
The following links will be used for our in class activity; you are welcome to open them on your own computer to follow along.
- The trouble with ingredients in sunscreens (Environmental Working Group)In class activity example from Environmental Working Group
- Comprehensive Survey of 14 Benzophenone UV Filters in Sunscreen Products Marketed in the United States: Implications for Human ExposureArticle from Environmental Science & Technology for in class activity
Places to Find Better Coverage
The following organizations are generally regarded as reputable fact checking organizations that cover some science content in the media. This short list is pulled from a list in Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers (the list can be found at this link: https://webliteracy.pressbooks.com/chapter/fact-checking-sites/)
Not all of these sites cover science only; many of them focus on political news. However, as chemistry topics are often mentioned in political discourse, these sites are still worth investigating.
These sites also might not have the information you're looking for. However they are a great starting point. Make sure that you're not doing work someone has already done!
- SciCheckA feature of FactCheck.org, this site is focuses on scientific claims made by partisans to influence public policy.
- Climate FeedbackFocuses on fact-checking climate change media coverage.
- SnopesOne of the early fact-checking websites, useful for political and cultural news.
- NPR Fact CheckA special series from National Public Radio. Useful for political news.
- Washington Post Fact CheckerRun by the Washington Post. Focuses on political news, and useful for recent news.
You can also look to see if the event or claim has been reported in a news source that has a verification process in place. Below are several news (not all!) sources that are considered a "newspaper of record" and have a rigorous and accountable editorial process and have a national view of the news.
You can also search in library databases to access certain newspapers:
- Access World News This link opens in a new windowNews sources from Washington State, US, and around the World. Includes over 170 countries and regions and all 50 states. (Access to this collection is underwritten by the Washington State Library until December 31, 2019)
- Newspaper Source This link opens in a new windowNewspaper Source provides cover-to-cover full text for more than 40 national (U.S.) and international newspapers, including the Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The Times (London), Toronto Star, etc.
The database also contains selective full text for more than 330 regional (U.S.) newspapers. In addition, full-text television & radio news transcripts are provided from CBS News, CNN, CNN International, FOX News, NPR, etc.
- Google NewsSearch in Google News to quickly see if the claim has been covered by other news sources.
If you want to do a deep dive into what makes a trustworthy news source, you can read more about the qualities are involved in a trustworthy News Source.
Web Literacy for Student Fact Checkers
All the material from class today was built on the work done by Mike Caulfield at Washington State University. This textbook is free and online, and is actually full of a lot of good examples for fact-checking what you encounter. If you have the time, I encourage you to read more of it.
- Web Literacy for Student Fact-CheckersBy Michael A. Caulfield
- Check, Please! Starter CourseAn online course from 2019 that has more in depth examples of how to use SIFT.
- Introduction to College ResearchBy Walter D. Butler, Aloha Sargent, and Kelsey Smith, an overview of how to do find and use information in college (including information on how to use SIFT)
Scholarly versus popular
Faculty often tell students to use scholarly (or academic) sources rather than popular ones. This distinction applies most often to the use of articles found in journals, periodicals, and magazines. Many of the same distinctions apply to books. The author’s credentials, the writing style, the presence (or lack) of footnotes, and the type of publisher (university press or mass-market publishing house) should all be looked at when evaluating the quality of a particular book.
Understanding the Peer Review Process
What is peer review? How do articles get peer reviewd? Why is peer reveiw important?
Watch this short video from NC State University Libraries on the peer review process:
Peer Review in Three Minutes