Fact Checking
Learn to separate fact from fiction with strategies to verify online information, including news, social media and AI-generated content.
Manipulated Media
Manipulated media is purposefully misleading or fabricated information presented in a way to look like legitimate news. This is sometimes called misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes, or fake news.
This type of content can spread very quickly online, as it is often created to get a reaction, cause outrage, or sway public opinion. Manipulated media is complex and can be difficult to spot. It often includes a kernel of truth, but twisted, taken out of context, or presented in a misleading way.
AI Hallucinations
AI tools are prone to hallucinations, or generating information that is false, fabricated, or not based on a real source. AI hallucinations are presented as confidently as if it were accurate and can include citing academic papers or books that do not exist, inventing quotes and attributing them to real people, and generating inaccurate facts, statistics, or historical dates. Learn about using AI to support your research.
How to Fact Check
Any source you consider needs to be carefully evaluated. Before you react to, share, or use a source in your research, ask yourself some questions:
- Is this a reliable source? Can I verify this information elsewhere?
- Is the source impartial or do they have a bias?
- Who is the author – are they credible? Are they real? Be skeptical of anonymously published content.
- Is there an organization or institution behind this content? Do they have an agenda?
- Could my biases influence how I assess this information? Is it intended to provoke outrage rather than encourage critical thinking?
- Does it look a little too perfect, polished, or convenient? Could it be AI-generated?
- Is it a joke or could it be satire?
Video & Images
- Look for photo or video credits
- Follow links, if any, to original sources and  evaluate if they are credible.
- Try a Google image search or TinEye to see if an image has appeared in a legitimate source.
- Check for dates and make sure the content has not been taken out of context.
- Look for inconsistencies in backgrounds, lighting that is a little too polished, or strange movement of hair, eyes, or lip-syncing
- Is the perspective or timing of a clip too convenient?
AI-Generated Content
- Evaluate any AI tool you are using in your research.
- Choose a model which provides citations, or better yet one designed for academic research like Consensus.
- Trace any citations to make sure they exist, and that they say what the AI claims they do.
Tools for Fact Checking
There are fact-checking organizations dedicated to tracking the spread of false information. Some good sources for fact checking news, social media, health information, or political content:
Ask An Expert
Fact-checking and verfication takes time. We are here to assist you with questions about the reliability of any source you find in our library resources or online. Contact us for help.