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Be a Research Skeptic

A Crash Course in Source Evaluation

Bias and the Web

Before we look at specific sources, let's consider our information ecosystem. The internet is vast and modern search engines make finding information really easy. Using the internet does have challenges. These include:

  • It's harder to know that you've found the right information for your need.
  • The purposes or goals of content creators can be obscured.
  • It's very easy to take the process of finding information at face value.

Filter Bubble

Search results, online stores, and social media are all personalized to you. This is sometimes called the filter bubble. You might find this personalization convenient. When done well, it surfaces the information you want. You may also find it invasive. This personalization is only possible because the sites we visit and the searches we do are tracked.

This process can also create a bubble of selective exposure and avoidance. It makes it easy to find the information we agree with. Information that the algorithms don't think we want isn't impossible to find, but we have to actively look for it. When we see a lot of information confirming our beliefs, but none that challenges it, our worldviews stay small.

Search Algorithms

Search engines are such a common part of our lives, it's easy to overlook how they affect how we search and what we find. Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble says "people think of algorithms as simply a mathematical formulation but in fact algorithms are really about automated decisions." Noble explores how bias in algorithms reinforce racism in this short promotional video, and in her book: Algorithms of Oppression.

Bias in Ourselves

Human beings are shaped by our experiences. We may not be aware of our viewpoints, or how we developed these biases. Some viewpoints serve us. Others may hurt ourselves, or others. It is impossible for us as humans to be neutral. It's also unrealistic to expect our sources to be completely without bias.

Instead, we want to enter the process of source evaluation with an understanding of our own biases, and the biases that exist in the world. When we look for sources, we want to look for balanced sources. We'll use strategies to check our sources for authority and authenticity.

Source evaluation is a tough skill to hone. The information in this guide will help but don't expect to be an expert evaluator in an hour. This is a skill you'll work on for years to come, and that's okay!