Skip to Main Content
Chowan University

Evaluating Sources

Learn a quick easy way to evaluate information
Trace
Trace claims, quotes and media to the original context

On the Internet, information can be reused so many times the original meaning is forgotten. Look for where this information started to understand the original purpose of the claim, quote, or media.

Information out of context can be interpreted differently from the original meaning.

Click through and find

An easy way to find the original article the author cites is by clicking on the hyperlink to the article. If the original report is not linked to the article you are reading, then pick out essential keywords such as the authors and date of the study to search for it.

Sometimes the original reports are behind a paywall. If the article is behind a paywall, try searching the library databases. Often the library has access to articles that are hidden behind a paywall. If the library does not have access to the report, then it can get it for you.

Check the date

Don't forget to check the date an article was written. This is important for two reasons. First, older stories can contain outdated information. Second, you might interpret the information differently if it is recent news vs. older news.

Trace an image to the original source

The fastest way to determine if a photo is either being used out of context or photoshopped is to use reverse image search to find the original photo.