Simply Politics & News

[ONEBGG]

* Fact Checking Resources *

Here are some websites where you can check stuff before you run the risk of possibly being embarrassed.

Google (leans left):
http://google.com/

Hoaxbusters (virus buster, good for emails):
http://www.hoaxbusters.org/

Hoax Kill (multiple resources):
http://www.hoaxkill.com/urbanlegends.html

Hoax-Slayer (email hoax & Internet scams):
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/

Scam Busters (another good email source):
http://www.scambusters.org/legends.html

Snopes (urban legends, myths, email hoaxes, virus warnings, and folklore)
http://www.snopes.com/

Straight Dope (educational source):
http://www.straightdope.com/

Truth Or Fiction (especially good for emails, leans a little right):
http://www.truthorfiction.com/

Urban Legends Online (creepy and interesting myths and superstitions):
http://urbanlegendsonline.com/

Urban Legend Zeitgeist (email source check):
http://tafkac.org/ulz/

Wikipedia (IMO it is not reliable as it can be edited by anyone):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Yahoo’s Urban Legend Directory (many sources):
http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Mythology_and_Folklore/Folklore/Urban_Legends/

Beware of fake news form satire websites, here are some examples:

* The Onion (Satire)
* The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
* Colbert Report (Comedy Central)

Evaluation Criteria

Posters should evaluate the quality of information they find on the web as well as other information resources, consider the following ideas:

Authority. Who says? Know the author.

· Who created this information and why?
· Do you recognize this author or their work?
· What knowledge or skills do they have in the area?
· Is he or she stating fact or opinion?
· What else has this author written?
· Does the author acknowledge other viewpoints and theories?

Objectivity. Is the information biased? Think about perspective.

· Is the information objective or subjective?
· Is it full of fact or opinion?
· Does it reflect bias? How?
· How does the sponsorship impact the perspective of the information?
· Is there a balance of perspectives represented?
· Could the information be meant as humorous, a parody, or satire?

Authenticity. Is the information authentic? Know the source.

· Where does the information originate?
· Is the information from an established organization?
· Has the information been reviewed by others to insure accuracy?
· Is this a primary source or secondary source of information?
· Are original sources clear and documented?
· Is a bibliography provided citing the sources used?
· Can this email or article be found elsewhere with a link.

Reliability. Is this information accurate? Consider the origin of the information.

· Is the source truth worthy? How do you know?
· Who is sponsoring this publication?
· Does this information come from a business, political or company site?
· What’s the purpose of the info’, is it to inform, instruct, or persuade?
· What's their motive?

Timeliness. Consider the currency and timeliness of the information.

· Does the information provide a timeline, specific dates?
· Does currency of information matter with your particular topic?
· How current are the sources or links, is there a date?

“If it is a miracle, any sort of evidence will answer, but if it is a Fact, proof is necessary” ~ Mark Twain