When it comes to evaluating websites, most students are taught to stay on the website, and go through a checklist of criteria, such as how professional the website looks, the author's expertise, or if it's a .org vs. .com.
But anyone today can make a professional looking website, and claim to be an expert. It's very easy to be led astray if you are evaluating a website based only on what it says about itself. Instead, you want to see what OTHER SOURCES say about that source, and FACT CHECK any claims.
In other words, do not stay on the website. Open multiple tabs in your browser and begin searching for answers.
We recommend following four "moves" (called SIFT) when evaluating websites and articles:
Stop
Investigate the source
Find other coverage
Trace claims, quotes, media to the original context
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