BUS 301 Advanced Writing in Professional Contexts

Evaluation Basics

You can evaluate any source using the 5 W's:

• Who: ...wrote it? Are they an expert?
• What: ...is the purpose of this resource?
• Where: ...was this information published? ...does the information come from?
• When: ...was this published or last updated?
• Why: ...is this resource useful? ...is this resource better than other ones?

Fact-Checking

When you see a claim that may not be 100% true, there are four steps, called "moves," you can take to fact-check the claim. If you successfully confirm a fact at any stage, you can stop - it's not always necessary to complete all four moves.

The Four Fact-Checking Moves

1. Check for previous work: Look to see if someone has already fact-checked the claim or summarized the research.
2. Go "upstream" to the source: Find the original source of the claim to understand the trustworthiness of the information.
3. Read laterally: Read what other people say about the source (publication, author, etc.). The truth is in the network.
4. Circle back: If you get lost or find yourself going down a rabbit hole, back up and start over. Now that you know more, you will probably find a different path with new search terms and more informed decisions.

One Habit

In addition to the fact-checking moves, you should also develop one new habit:

Check your Emotions

The habit is simple. When you feel strong emotion – happiness, anger, pride, vindication – in response to a claim, STOP. Above all, these are the claims that you must fact-check.

Why? Because as human beings, our emotions tend to override our ability to reason. It's important to learn to recognize when this is happening, so you can approach important issues with a more analytical frame of mind. 

The information above is based on the following work by Michael A. Caulfield: