Yesterday I found some great resources for online information literacy, and I wasn’t even reading a library blog– this came from one of the blogs I read on scientific literacy and critical thinking.
Crap Detection 101 gives tips and tools for checking on what you find online. The Essential Skill of Crap Detection target=”_blank” gives examples of how to teach students online crap detection skills. I would also try some of these out on friends and family members.
Now I know the people who read (right? right?) this blog are all smart and savvy people. But I bet you also were taken in by that Facebook advertising thing that went around. The moral of the story is that all people use heuristics. That’s not a problem unless one of those heuristics is to uncritically accept and/or pass along anything we see from a “trusted” source, such as a friend, family member, or oft-visited website. Just remember that your friends are just as human as you are, and don’t be afraid to say “You know, I don’t know if that’s exactly true.” If you’re a friend of mine, you’ll know that I frequently question what others tell me, but I try not to be annoying about it. That’s one of my heuristics.
What are some of your heuristics for evaluating information, whether online, or in conversations?