Saturday, September 4, 2021

Use SIFT to Quickly Sort through Misinformation on Social Media

Sift was created by Mike Caufield.  The SIFT graphic is re-used here under a Creative Commons License.  

"A group of researchers from MIT found that stories that trigger an emotional response are shared way more than straight news stories. Added to that, neuroscientists have confirmed that we are more likely to remember stories that make us angry, sad, or laugh." Source (firstdraftnews.org)

In the era of fake news, it can be difficult to tell good info from bad on social media and the web.  One option is to use SIFT, a set of 4 moves that you can apply in less than 30 seconds. 

SIFT is an acronym that can help you quickly sort through misinformation on social media

SIFT stands for: 
  • Stop.
  • Investigate the source.
  • Find better or other sources.
  • Trace back to the original source to see quotes in their original context. 

Here's a slightly different take on it:
SIFT to Find Quality Sources Online


Mike Caufield's Intro video to Sifting Through the Outbreak.  (about 4 min.)


Read more about SIFT:


Don’t Go Down the Rabbit Hole Critical thinking, as we’re taught to do it, isn’t helping in the fight against misinformation. Feb. 18, 2021


Fact Checking Websites



Questions or comments, contact Your Ascension Wisconsin Librarians:

Michele Matucheski  &  Kellee Selden

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