CLIP Guide: Myers

SIFT Bracket

You have ten minutes to decide what you think about a source! 

Step 1:  Read  Skim your assigned source.  Focus on the abstract or introduction, features of the article, and see if you can identify the main argument. 

Step 2:  Fact-Check  Consider the following questions, and use Google and the web to help you evaluate sources like a fact-checker would.  You don't have to answer all of the questions - just enough to decide whether this is a trustworthy source or not:

• Investigate the source:  What do you know about the author?  What are their credentials and/or their lived experience?  Is this source trustworthy?  Is it scholarly or not?
• Find trusted coverage: What do other resources say about this topic?  What is the consensus (even if you disagree)?  
• Trace claims, quotes, and media back to the original context: Open up a few sources, and look at the original context.  Are quotes and claims fairly represented?
• What else is important about the source, especially in the context of the research question?  Things that may be relevant, depending on the topic, include:  relevance; purpose; audience; date of publication.

Research question: 
"You are writing a paper for CPN 101 about the homeless youth, especially college students, in the US."

Source A: The Answer to Homelessness

Source B: New Federal Data Confirm that College Students Face Significant—and Unacceptable—Basic Needs Insecurity

Source C: Where the Streets Have No Name

Source D: Homelessness in America

Source E: Student Homelessness in America School Years 2017-18 to 2019-20

Source F: Focusing on Homeless LGBT+ College Students During COVID-19