LibGuides: Misinformation &amp; Information Literacy: Strategies &amp; Information Literacy

Information Literacy

Information literacy is defined in the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education as "the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning" (Association of College & Research Libraries , 2016, p. 8).

Nicole A. Cooke (as cited in Moraine Valley Community College Library, 2019) explains that information literacy helps people "move past initial reactions and . . . use critical thinking skills" (6:20).

Although becoming information literate and developing critical thinking skills can take time and practice, there are some strategies that we can start using right away as we navigate the information we encounter, and try to determine what is credible or inaccurate.

Strategies for navigating misinformation

Here are some strategies taken and adapted from Nicole A. Cooke's (2018) book, Fake News and Alternative Facts: Information Literacy in a Post-Truth Era (pp. 24-25).

Triangulate: Can you find at least two other other sources that verify the headline or caption? This is particularly important when dealing with social media posts.
Check your biases: Are your personal beliefs causing you to assume accuracy or inaccuracy about information?
Move outside your bubble: Do you read sources that are outside your go-to news source? For example if you generally source your news from the National Post then check out articles from CBC also.
Use fact checking sources: As you triangulate information, what do these resources say? We have listed several in the boxes below.
Check the headline: Is it all capitalized? Is the language over the top? Is it using emotional appeal?
Check the source: Is it one you are familiar with or recognize? Is there an author? Does the source have a particular angle or bias? Does the webpage have an "About" page? Is it overrun with ads? Are any sources cited?
Check the date: Is it old? It is being repurposed to make a new point?

Fact Checking Resources (International and United States)

Snopes
[T]he oldest and largest fact-checking site online, widely regarded by journalists, folklorists, and readers as an invaluable research companion.
PolitiFact
Fact-checking journalism is the heart of PolitiFact. Our core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting and clear writing. The reason we publish is to give citizens the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy.
The Fact Checker (The Washington Post)
The purpose of this website, and an accompanying column in the Sunday print edition of The Washington Post, is to “truth squad” the statements of political figures regarding issues of great importance, be they national, international or local. It’s a big world out there, and so we rely on readers to ask questions and point out statements that need to be checked.
FactCheck.org
We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding

Thank you to Nicole A. Cooke's (2018) book for directing us to these sites. Descriptions of sites taken from respective websites.

How to Spot Fake News

IFLA 2017, How to Spot Fake News, Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Canadian Fact Checking Resources

CanadaFactCheck
Canada Fact Check is an independent news platform dedicated to transparency, democratic reform, government accountability and corporate responsibility.
These goals are pursued through research, investigations, reporting and analysis.

Descriptions taken from respective websites.

Writing and Research Guide

Check out the Credibility of Sources page on our Research and Writing Guide. It offers further strategies and tips to help evaluate sources and determine their credibility. The guide also has pages exploring the Research Process, Writing Tips, Citations, and Plagiarism.