Resource Evaluation: Statistics & Data

What is the SIFT Evaluation Process?

SIFT is an acronym that helps you to remember the steps of resource evaluation. SIFT reminds you what you need to know before viewing statistics and data.

We learn about the author, speaker, or publisher: What’s their expertise? Their agenda? Their record of fairness or accuracy?

We check on claims: Are they broadly accepted? Rejected? Something in-between?

We don’t take evidence at face value. Is it presented in its original context, or with a certain frame that changes its meaning for the reader or viewer?

Watch the videos in the accordion below to show you how to use the SIFT method to evaluate statistics and data.

Stop

Do I know or trust the source of this information? Do not read or share until you do. It can be easy to get overwhelmed during fact-checking. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed in your fact-checking efforts, STOP and take a second to remind yourself what your goal is and what you need to know about the source. Adjust your strategy if it isn't working and consider using another search term or a different website. Make sure you approach the problem at the right amount of depth for your purpose, such as an assignment or for interest.

Investigate the Source

Knowing the expertise and agenda of the source is crucial to your interpretation of what they say. Taking sixty seconds to figure out where it is from before reading will help you decide if it is worth your time, and if it is, help you to better understand its significance and trustworthiness. This can be done using some simple internet searches such as finding an independent site, for example, a Wikipedia page about the source and the authors and checking that the authors actually work for the organisation they claim to. Leave the original item open and click to open new tabs to find out more about the author/s and source.

Find Other Coverage

Sometimes you don’t care about how the particular data source reaches you. You care about the claim the interactive content is making, and you want to know if it is true or false. You want to know if it represents a consensus viewpoint, or if it is the subject of much disagreement. In these cases, we encourage you to “find trusted coverage” that better suits your needs - more trusted, more in-depth, or maybe just more varied and covers the various aspects of the issue. There are a number of options available here and it may depend on the type of issue being investigated. If it has a current affairs aspect or something that has just arisen, then searching the internet may produce other articles or videos on the topic. If the issue is a new angle on something that has been researched previously, then searching the library databases or other specialised resources should also be considered..

Subject Resource Guides

Trace the Claims

It is important to trace the claim, quote, or media back to the source, so you can see it in its original context and get a sense if the version you saw presented the information accurately. If the source does not provide any names, organisations or other points to check then it may not be the best option to use or share. An internet search of these may provide greater context for the facts used. It is recommended to check a few and see if they have been used accurately. If the item is reporting on a research article, consider searching the library databases for the original source. Also, consider checking any images or footage used as they may not match with the story itself but are important in telling the story outlined in the source. How to do a reverse image search can be found on the useful resources tab. After checking this source, the information is creditable and could be considered for use in an assignment.

Lowy Institute Power Index website Reproduced with permission.

Downloadable Resource

SIFT Checklist

Useful Resources

Basic verification tips
Click here to find out how to verify if the images you have found are real or have been manipulated
Doing a reverse image search
Click here to find out how to perform a reverse image search...can you trust that the images you find online are real?
Online verification skills videos
Click here for more information on the SIFT evaluation process from the SIFT creator, Mike Caulfield.

Red Flags

Terrill, M., Burfurd, I., and Fox, L. (2021). The Grattan car plan: practical policies for cleaner transport and better cities. Grattan Institute CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Data and Statistics Examples

Top Image

Second and third images