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In addition to understanding how to find sources, it is crucial that we understand how to evaluate those sources. With more information than ever before at our fingertips, we are responsible for learning from, sharing, and recommending reliable sources.

Experts use different evaluation tools for different information source types. As we search for different types of information, we may need to use one or more tools to help us determine if that resource is a good fit for our information need. 

The CRAAP Test is a helpful tool for evaluating a source's credibility and deciding whether you should use it in your assignment. It uses five criteria in the acronym: Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose.

The CRAAP Test questions are meant to serve as a guide rather than a checklist.

SIFT works great for fighting fake news and evaluating popular sources likes news broadcasts, news sites or newspapers, social media posts, and "viral" information.

The SIFT Method is an evaluation method refined by Mike Caulfield. This method encourages us to think critically about sources before sharing the information. Fake news is created for many reasons, but its effect is predictable-- whatever the factual, unbiased, authoritative facts are, they are drowned out by alternative narratives.

Herbert Simon (as quoted in Parrish, 2013) says,

"What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention, and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it."