Misinformation and Disinformation
News Sources
News is designed to inform you about current events, but its quality and objectivity can vary. Credible journalism adheres to strict standards of accuracy, fairness, and accountability.
Here are five steps that would help you vet news sources. You can also use the infographic (link below) to help you spot fake news.
AI-generated Content
AI-generated content is not a primary source and can be unreliable. These systems can produce errors, outdated information, or even "hallucinate"—inventing plausible but entirely false details.
AI-generated content should be treated as a starting point, not a final answer. Independently verifying all factual claims is critical. AI models often fail to cite sources or sometimes can invent them. Trace every fact to a reliable primary or secondary source. Keep a critical eye on the output at all times, verifying each source it provides.
Data and Statistics
The seemingly "objective" numbers and data can be easily manipulated and cited out of context for a specific agenda. Here are some practices that will help you assess the credibility of data and statistics.
- Question the origin -- who collected it and for what purpose? For example, who funded this study?
- Examine the methodology -- How was the data collected? Were there any biases in the sample? Are the authors cherry-picking when sharing the data?
- Look at the charts and graphs -- are the axes manipulated? Are the labels clearly marked? This video would help you spot misleading graphs.
Some useful data and statistical sources:
Internet and Social Media
The Internet, particularly social media platforms, contains various types of mis-/disinformation. As an open space for publication, fact-checking for information users becomes even more crucial.
SIFT method, developed by digital literacy expert Mike Culfield, is a helpful tool.
Today, platform algorithm could exacerbate the spread of mis-/disinformation, making it more challenging for verification. It tracks user's behavior and uses the data to build predictive model of their interests, based on which it prioritizes showing the content that the user is most likely to engage with.
Platform algorithm could lead to biases and amplify misinformation by repeatedly showing the user similar content based on the user's previous browsing history and preferences, limiting one's exposure to diverse perspectives, and prioritizing content that is more sensational and emotionally charged over facts to get more likelihood of engagement.
The awareness of the platform algorithm is an important part of information literacy in the age of social media. Always keep in mind that your social media feed is based on your previous engaging history, and that may have blocked your access to different points of view or critical facts.
Scholarly Sources
The following short video explains what peer-reviewed articles are. They are credible academic research as they have undergone a rigorous evaluation by experts in the same field. This process ensures the quality, validity, and originality of the research before it is published. Peer-reviewed sources significantly enhance the credibility of the work, as they are built upon a foundation of trusted and verified information. Referring to peer-reviewed sources helps you evaluate the credibility and quality of a piece of information.
Note that not all scholarly works are peer-reviewed, and not all scholarly journals are of high quality. Ask your librarian if you have questions.
Caution: AI-generated papers based on public health data flooding the scientific literature