Skip to content

Investigate the Source

While you have stopped, and before you start to read or watch, take the time to investigate the source.

If someone walked up to you and handed you some candy, would you just eat it without looking at it? Or, would you look at the box first to see what type of candy it is? Use that same mindset to investigate the source before you start to read or watch it.

Just as you wouldn’t necessarily conduct an in-depth analysis of the candy and its manufacturer before eating, we aren’t asking you to always do an exhaustive review of a source. Just take a minute or two to make sure you understand who wrote, created, and/or sponsored this source.

Key Point!

Even just 60 seconds of investigation will help you contextualize the source and consider its value, significance, and trustworthiness.

Example

Let’s consider the article “12 Good Reasons Meat and Poultry Should be Part of Your Balanced diet.” A quick glance at the bottom of the page reveals that it is hosted on a website sponsored by NAMI.

Screenshot of the website of the North American Meat Institute aka NAMI.

Clicking on the “About Us” link at the bottom informs us that NAMI “represents companies that process 95 percent of red meat and 70 percent of turkey products in the US and their suppliers throughout America.” This lets us know important information about this article’s intent, goals, and possible biases.