Practice becoming a Lateral Reader: verify what you're reading as you are reading it.
Leave the site and open new tabs to judge the credibility of the original site.
♦ search for the site/article on fact-checking sites
♦ search for the owner or publisher of the site
♦ follow references back to the original sources
♦ research what other sites say about the source
LATERAL READING
"The fact checkers read laterally -- quickly scanning the website in question but then opening a series of additional browser tabs, seeking context and perspective from other sites." (Spector)
Lateral readers exercise habits that lead to more thorough and efficient evaluation of information/sources such as:
When was it published? Are their references current? Is currently important for your topic?
Does the info relate to my topic? What audience is it written for? Can I read and understand it?
Who is the author/organization? Are they qualified? Is it edited or peer-reviewed
Where does the information come from? Are there references? Are there errors, broken links etc.?
What's the purpose of the information? Advertising? Scholarly work? Opinion? Is there bias? Who is the intended audience?
Adapted from Meriam Library, California State University, Chico California
