Critical appraisal tests like CRAAP and RADAR can also be used to evaluate the credibility of news websites and the stories they produce (which often go viral on social media). Here are some more resources to help you check!
"How to Spot Fake News," a brief article from FactCheck.org by Eugene Kiely and Lori Robertson, provides some good tips on spotting fake news. Tips from the article include:
It’s good practice to read carefully, but it takes time. And whether you’re deep in a research project or trying to keep up with social media, time can seem like it’s in short supply.
There may not be time to deeply read everything you come across. But the Command/Control F function is a great shortcut to quickly determine if an article matches its headline, an argument matches its social media post, or research matches your needs. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to:
Use cmd/ctrl F to quickly search for keywords
Twisting an idea or position so it’s easier to argue against is called a straw man fallacy. Straw man arguments can seem convincing, but they’re actually poor reasoning. It can be hard to avoid straw man arguments in persuasive papers—or arguments with friends! But engaging with a topic fairly and accurately helps refine your own positions and connect better with others.
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to:
Identify and avoid straw man arguments
Have you ever felt trapped by a question because you'd look bad whether you said "yes" or "no"? These loaded questions are often used by journalists and politicians. Questions like, “Have you stopped accepting bribes?” have presumptions built into them so they can’t be answered without looking guilty. And they can be misleading when they suggest things that aren’t true.
Knowing how to deal with loaded questions can help you focus on facts and improve communication.
By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:
Whether you are scrolling through social media, watching a debate, writing a paper, or having a conversation, understanding false equivalencies can help you stay focused on the facts.
By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:
Recognize, respond to, and avoid using false equivalencies
In this tutorial, you’ll learn about lateral reading, a strategy for analyzing online information that results in reading less, but learning more.
By the end of this tutorial you’ll be able to:
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to:
When you are trying to prove a point during a conversation, you need to provide reasons why it is true. In other words, convincing someone requires evidence. This requirement is known as the burden of proof, and it comes into play in courts of law, political debates, and even casual conversations. Sometimes people try to make points without evidence or say something because it would be hard to prove them wrong. But failing to meet the burden of proof can make conversations go off track. So, whether you are researching, writing a paper, or debating with a friend, it’s important to provide evidence and ask others to do the same. During this tutorial, you will learn when the burden of proof is required and what to do when someone tries to evade it.By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:
By the end of this tutorial you’ll be able to:
Have you ever been on the losing end of an argument and been tempted to resort to name-calling? Making irrelevant comments about an opponent’s character or circumstances is a common debate strategy known as an ad hominem attack. While ad hominem can be a legitimate response, it is often a diversion tactic meant to hide a weak counter-argument. Being able to spot ad hominem attacks and determine their use can help you identify credible resources and improve your communication skills. By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:
