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GEOG 321: Cities and Climate Justice (Professor Kim Knowles-Yánez)

SIFT Evaluation Method

Flour being sifted

SIFT Source Evaluation: Stop, Investigate, Find a better source, Trace the origin of information

When we look for information through lateral searching, we are verifying claims and sources using external sources such as websites, other news/magazine/scholarly articles, etc. This could be as simple as having multiple tabs open on your computer/mobile device and consulting several sources simultaneously to ascertain veracity of information. 

One method for lateral searching within a source is called The Four Moves – SIFT: 1) Stop, 2) Investigate the source by searching elsewhere, 3) Find external coverage of the topic or claim from a reliable source, and 4) Trace media (photos, quotes) and claims back to their original context and author. The Four Moves is an approach for how to judge a source.

SIFT Website Worksheet

SIFT Scholarly Journals Worksheet

Image credit: Person pouring flour from sieve in kitchen, Klaus Nielsen, via Pexels

Content adapted from Who Can I Trust? – Questions to Ask When Evaluating Information Sources (featuring SIFT, PIE, and SMELL methods) (K. Kiczenski for Project Cora)

PIE Evaluation Method

Two small fruit pies on a cutting board.PIE Source Evaluation: Proximity, Independence, and Expertise

P – Proximity

  • How close was the author to the event or information provided? Is it a firsthand account?
  • How close are the other witnesses or sources quoted?

I – Independence

  • Does the author have a conflict of interest or level of self-interest in telling this story? What might they stand to gain or lose?

E – Expertise

  • Does the author have significant experience/expertise in the subject field they are covering?
  • Does their knowledge about the topic lend confidence to their report?

Image credit: Close up of Tasty Looking Baked Goods, Nishant Aneja, via Pexels

Source: Who Can I Trust? – Questions to Ask When Evaluating Information Sources (featuring SIFT, PIE, and SMELL methods) (K. Kiczenski for Project Cora)

SMELL Evaluation Method

SMELL Source Evaluation: Source, Motivation, Evidence, Logic, Left out

S – Source

Who is providing the information? Are all creative and production sources clear?

Can you verify the credentials of the authors, publishers, donors, associated institutions, etc.?

M – Motivation

Is the tone of the content persuasive or purely informative

Is their viewpoint, bias(es), and intent clear?

Are they promoting a product or policy?

E – Evidence

What independently verifiable evidence do they provide for generalizations made?

Are their conclusions transparent?

L – Logic

Does the evidence presented support the author’s conclusions?

Do their claims make sense both internally, within the content, and externally, in context of everything else you know?

Watch for internal logic failures:

  • anecdotes presented as proof

  • flawed comparisons

  • binary thinking

L – Left out

Whose voices or what information is missing?

How are others from alternate sources responding to the information, especially those whose perspectives differ by race, gender, class, generation, etc.?

How might knowing their perspective change our interpretation of the info?

Image credit: Cute Cat Smelling Flower, Birkant Cakar, via Pexels

Source: Who Can I Trust? – Questions to Ask When Evaluating Information Sources (featuring SIFT, PIE, and SMELL methods) (K. Kiczenski for Project Cora)