Phi Theta Kappa 2024-2025 Meramec

Timeliness Relevance Authority Accuracy Purpose

Escape the information trap! 

Evaluate each source of information using these five criteria: 

Timeliness

How timely does the information need to be for your purpose? Some information changes rapidly, so you’ll need the most up-to-date and current sources. In other areas, older information is fine.

• What is the date of publication or copyright? Has the information been revised or updated?
• Is the information presented in the work itself current or out of date for your research needs?
• Is the information timely for your topic? Sometimes an older source will give you a good overview, but you’ll want to supplement it with newer sources for the latest developments.

Relevance

• Does this source help answer your research question?
• How is the information useful to you?
• How detailed is the information? Is it too basic or too advanced?
• Relevance is intermixed with all the other evaluation criteria.

Authority

• Who created the content? Is there a named author or group of authors? What are the author’s credentials? Is the author affiliated with reputable organization?
• Have the author(s) published other information on the topic? Are they experts in this topic?
• If no author is named, is the information published or posted by an organization that has a credible reputation?
• Search other websites to verify the credibility of the author or organization.

Accuracy

• Is the information logical, well organized and supported by evidence?

• Does the author quote statistics from a reliable source, refer to research studies, identify experts or include interviews with experts on the topic? 

• Is the material in line with other reputable sources, or does it diverge drastically?

Purpose

• Who is the intended audience? Professionals, scientists, academics or other specialists? Students? Children? Popular/general reader?
• Why did the author publish the information? To inform, educate, analyze, advocate, sell, or entertain?
• What political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal perspectives and biases are evident? Does the web site exist to promote an agenda?

An information source's context--where it came from, its audience, format, and how it is used--help determine authority, appropriateness and relevance.

• Students recognize that credibility may vary by context and information need.
   
• Students understand the importance of critically assessing a source's credibility.
   
• Students are able to identify how a credible source could be used for a particular need.

SIFT is an action method for evaluating sources, especially those that make claims on the web and social media.

• Stop
• Investigate the source
• Find better coverage
• Trace claims, quotes and media to the original context

Adapted from “SIFT (The Four Moves)” by Mike Caulfield, licensed under CC BY 4.0