SIFT is an easy four-step process that will help you determine if a source is trustworthy or not. Most of the information regarding the SIFT method is originated by Mike Caulfield, who is currently the Director of Blended and Networked Learning at Washington State University, Vancouver.
S STOP: Before you share or use a source, ask yourself : "Am I familiar with this source? Does it have a good reputation? Do I know this claim is factual? If not, go on to the next steps. Also, think about your purpose. Is this for a research paper or just for entertainment? The purpose will determine how thoroughly you should evaluate the source.
I INVESTIGATE the source: Is the author an expert on the subject? What is their motivation? Are they trying to sway my opinion, sell me something or just present facts?
F FIND trusted coverage: Sometimes you're just interested in the claim, not the author. What do trusted sources say about the claim, what's the general consensus? Do a search to find the most trusted source on this topic.
T TRACE claims, quotes, and media back to the original context: So much online has been stripped of context. Sometimes a video may depict something entirely different from what's claimed, important parts are edited out, or the video is manipulated in some way. You can use Google and Google Reverse Image Search to help find the original context.
Modified from Mike Caulfield's SIFT (Four Moves), which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Pause or STOP - then ask yourself if you recognize the information source and if you know anything about the website or the claim's reputation.
Before you share the video, stop!
Before you act on a strong emotional response to a headline, stop!
Ask yourself: Do I know this website? Do I know this information source? Do I know it's reputation?
Watch this 3 min Introductory video on Online Verification Skills by Mike Caufield.
Out of his 4 Moves to quickly determine if a source is trustworthy of not, the Wikipedia Test, or as I like to say, "Do the Wiki! , is a quick test that is remarkably accurate. Watch the short 2 1/2 min video to learn how to to investigate a news organization or other resource.
More on Wikipedia on the Wikipedia page on this Guide.
TRACE Claims, Quotes and Media to the Original Context : Go back to the source to determine where this information originated. Returning to the first source gives you more information about what was said. Remember, you can return to the Investigate move when you find the original source.