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Evaluating Social Media Sources: Home

Why use social media sources?

Why use social media sources?  

Social media is a primary source that frequently connects to current events. On social media, users can share their feelings about what is happening in the world in real-time. They can discuss any topic varying from things such as pop culture, science, and politics.  Social media can allow for the inclusion of diverse perspectives that may not be typically included in other forms of sources.  

So, why do we evaluate social media sources?  

Anyone can make a social media account and say whatever they’d like even though it may be blatant misinformation. Nothing on social media should be taken as fact. When citing social media sources, it is necessary to evaluate them. 

Evaluating for Quality

When evaluating social media posts, there are questions that can help evaluate their quality. Mike Caufield, a digital literacy expert, created a four-step method called SIFT that helps with deciding if an online source is credible. This is a useful tool for looking at information on social media.  

 

The SIFT Method

Before you view a post, take a moment and think about what you know about the post you’re looking at. Ask these questions:  

  • Is it clearly posted by an organization? 

  • Is the post from a person you follow or was it suggested by the algorithm? 

  • What are your initial reactions to the post? 

Next, you should investigate the source before you engage with it more in depth. This is similar to the "A" for authority in the CRAAP Method where you have to look into the person creating the information you're consuming.  Ask these questions: 

  • Who is the person posting? 

  • Is the person an expert in the subject?  

  • Does the person have any motives behind sharing their content?

The third step is to find better coverage. This is similar to the "R" for relevance in the CRAAP Method.  Sometimes, the first thing you see is not the best. You don’t have to feel any sense of loyalty just because it’s the first thing you saw. You can seek other information that serves your needs. Ask these questions: 

  • Is this post helpful to me and my topic? 

  • If I include it in my work, what value does it add? 

  • Would I be able to find better information?

The final step of the SIFT method is to trace the information back to its source. A lot of information on social media is removed from context. It’s important to look at the context behind the post. The step is about playing detective and tracing the source back to its original source. Ask these questions: 

  • Is this post in response to something else? 

  • Are the comments on the post referencing another scenario?  

 

Evaluating for Relevance

In addition to evaluating for quality, it's also important to evaluate sources for relevance. There's so much information available on social media and one of the harder choices is having to decide if something is actually relevant to your research. 

What type of information does it provide?

On social media, there's an incredible amount of different types of information. It's useful to think about the type of source and what type of information it is providing. 

Instagram Posts 

Instagram posts are traditionally photographs, but the app has started to move into more video-based content through "Instagram Reels". When looking at content on Instagram, you have to consider when the photograph was taken and if it's up to date. It's also extremely important to investigate if the image was created through Artificial Intelligence. 

Facebook Posts

Facebook allows users to post photos, videos, links to other websites, and text. Misinformation is rampant on Facebook and many posts that may look real are actually fake. It's important to look at what source the information is coming from on Facebook. 

X(formerly Twitter)  Posts

On X, the traditional type of post is short text posts under 280 characters. The app does include photos and videos, but the main format is primarily text. Misinformation is very common on X, especially over the past year with changes to its policies and guidelines. X does provide community notes on posts where users can attach corrections to other's posts. This is sometimes useful, but it can be a source of more misinformation. 

TikTok Videos 

TikTok is a popular social media site for young people. On TikTok, users post short videos and sometimes photo slideshows. Like Instagram, AI-generated content is rampant on the app. Misinformation also spreads easily on TikTok with conspiracies becoming popular on the app such as the myth that Helen Keller was faking her disabilities. TikTok is designed to make users stay in the app. If you see something that doesn't feel right, close out of the app and investigate further 

 

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