Tips for evaluating information

The following list provides some strategies you can use with older adults to help them better evaluate the information they find online.

• Use trusted and reputable resources. These might include academic institutions, established news organizations, government websites, or recognized experts in a particular field. You may need to explain what the different domains are and the types of resources they represent.
  • Commercial domains (.com) include individuals, businesses, and industries that likely promote their own products or services they'd like you to buy.
  • Organizations (.org) tends to include non-profits, charities, and other organizations that may still be trying to sell products or services, but not for profit. Be careful, though. There is no restriction that prevents a commercial business applying for a .org domain. Some will do this to make it seem like they are being charitable or benevolent. You still need to be careful about what you find in these domains.
  • Education institutions (.edu) are exactly what they appear. Education institutions can give access to their domain to teachers/professors, students, and some staff organizations. Be sure to know who has posted the information you find in these domains and you're not relying on someone's school project that does not contain valid information.
  • Government organizations (.gov). Government organizations often have a charge to serve the public good. Most information that is created by or funded by the U.S. Government is in the Public Domain and should be highly reliable.
• Use the "Rule of Three." Find at least three sources that have the same information to be sure it is accurate. Ironically, Wikipedia has often been discounted in educational institutions, but all Wikipedia articles have to include links to resources that can help you quickly verify information.
• Evaluate the evidence. Any information you find should be supported by evidence from the person(s) who posted it. We all have opinions, but opinions are NOT evidence! You need facts, which can include data, images, videos, or other information that clearly supports what the author is presenting.
• Know who created the information. It's easy to make a website or a video that is designed to look informative and trustworthy. The site can still be filled with opinions, biased information, and misinformation. This can be true of a website in any domain. Use your favorite search engine and investigate the author or organization. Verify the authority of the author/organization through multiple sources.
• Look for current information. Trusted providers should include dates on their posts, pages, videos, or other information. Technology and information changes so quickly that even information that's a year or two old might not be worthwhile.

Fact Check Like a Pro

You can learn strategies and use resources to evaluate the information you find online. You can then pass those skills on to the older adults you'll be working with. Review the following resources for more information:

• FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center
• Tips for fact-checking from East Indiana University libraries

A librarian in Olinda, Maui, offers this long list of resources for "curating, organizing, and testing the EDUverse."