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Frameworks for Evaluating Information
In a world full of misinformation and disinformation, critical evaluation is crucial for ensuring the sources you use provide high-quality, accurate information from multiple perspectives. There are many different frameworks for evaluating information. Some rely on vertical reading, and others encourage lateral reading.
Lateral Reading
Lateral reading is like being a detective. Instead of digging deep into a single source (say, an article or a website), you're hopping around multiple tabs, checking the credibility of the source against what other reputable sources are saying. It's a holistic approach to verifying information. – Educators for Technology
Here are examples of frameworks that use lateral reading:
- SIFT (Mike Caulfield)Introduces four habits you can use to verify information: (1) Stop, (2) Investigate the source, (3) Find better coverage, and (4) Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context.
- Evaluating AI Content (U of A)Provides tips for verifying output from generative AI tools.
Vertical Reading
You find a source and read it top to bottom, perhaps even taking notes or highlighting important sections. When it comes to vertical reading, your level of trust is often dependent on what that single course tells you. This can be problematic, especially if the source has an agenda. – Educators for Technology
Here are examples of frameworks that primarily use vertical reading:
- RADAR (SAIT)Describes how to use Relevance, Authority, Date, Appearance, and Reason to evaluate a source.
- CRAAP Test (UChicago Library)Outlines a series of questions to ask to determine the Currency, Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose of an information source.