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Spotting misinformation

Students don't need to become fact-checkers — they need a fast habit they'll actually use before believing or sharing something. The SIFT method is that habit.

SIFT, in four moves Stop · Investigate the source · Find better coverage · Trace claims to the original. It takes 30 seconds and beats reading the page top-to-bottom.

What each move means

Move	Do this
Stop	Notice your reaction. Strong emotion is a signal to slow down, not to share.
Investigate the source	Who's behind it? Open a new tab and search the site/author (“lateral reading”).
Find better coverage	Do trusted outlets report the same thing? Search the claim, not just the page.
Trace to the original	Follow quotes, images, and stats back to the real source — context is often missing.

Try it yourself: should you trust it?

Check the moves you've actually done for a source, then see the read.

SIFT quick-check

I paused instead of reacting or sharing right away I searched who's behind the site/author (in a new tab) I found other trusted outlets reporting the same thing I traced the quote/image/stat to its original source

Red flags worth naming

It's designed to make you angry or afraid — outrage spreads faster than truth.
No author, no date, or a look-alike web address.
A real photo used with the wrong caption (reverse-image-search it).
A screenshot of a claim with no link to the actual source.

Connect it to AI AI chatbots can state false things confidently, too. The same habit applies — see AI literacy for students.