Cox Library
INQ: Source Evaluation: Lateral Reading
How do you analyze the author’s qualifications or the trustworthiness of the site?
A recent study from the Stanford History Education Group tested the online evaluation skills of professional fact checkers vs PhD Historians vs undergraduate students.
The bottom line:
The truth is more likely to be found in the network of links to (and commentaries about) the site than in the site itself. Lateral readers gain a better understanding as to whether to trust the facts and analysis presented to them.
The conclusion:
"The fact checkers [using lateral reading] proved to be fastest and most accurate, while historians and students were easily deceived by unreliable sources."
