Evaluating Information Sources Critically: Lateral Reading

"Tabbed Browsing" refers to the feature of web browsers that allows for opening and swapping between multiple pages on the Web within a single web browser window.

How to open a new tab:
Your browser window may have a plus sign ( + ) along the top of the window that you can click on, or you may be able to type Ctrl+t (Windows) or ⌘+t (Mac) to open a new tab. 

How to switch to another open tab:
Once your browser has multiple tabs open, use your mouse to select one of the other tabs by clicking on the tab along the top of the browser window, or use Ctrl+Tab (Windows) or ⌘+Option+> (Mac) to switch among open tabs. 

Your phone's web browser supports tabbed browsing too!

Lateral Reading describes a simple strategy for using your web browser to evaluate the quality of an information source found on the Internet.

Lateral Reading of an information source such as web page means to pause in the middle of what you are reading to open a new browser tab to use the web to learn about the information you are reading and learn about the source of the information that you are reading.

In your new browser tab you can:

• Do a general Internet/Google search - recognizing that Google may have their own agenda behind what search results they present.
• Check Wikipedia - recognizing that while basically reliable, people constantly seek to contribute to Wikipedia with their own agenda, whatever that may be.
• Actively seek out well-known and respected fact-checking websites like Snopes, FactCheck.org and PolitiFact regarding the event you just read about.

Examples:  

• Google the author of what you're reading.
  Try including 'wiki' in your search to check for a Wikipedia article about this writer.
  What is "The Internet" saying about this writer?  What do information sources that you recognize and respect have to say about this writer?  What is this writer known for?
   
• Google the organization behind what you're reading.
  Try including 'wiki' in your search to check for a Wikipedia article about this group.
  What is "The Internet" saying about this group?  What do information sources that you recognize and respect have to say about this group?  What is this group known for?
   
• Google the issue/event/fact you just read about. 
  Try including 'wiki' in your search to check for a Wikipedia article about the issue/event/factual statement you just read.
  Are there other people saying things similar to what you just read?  Or the opposite?  What do information sources that you recognize and respect have to say about this issue/event/factual statement?  Do they corroborate or contradict what you just read?

Note that while many people consider lateral reading to be a strategy specific to web browsing, the concept fully applies to evaluating information sources not found on the Internet.

Also, while checking Google, Wikipedia, and major fact-checking websites is very quick and easy, there are virtually endless information verification resources at your disposal for lateral reading alongside your main reading activity.

Your library is the ultimate lateral-reading resource!

Is the information found on each of these web pages credible?