Trace an online claim to its source

Choose a low-stakes fact needed for an assignment, such as library hours.

Try it step by step

1. Find the relevant organisation's page rather than a shared screenshot.
2. Check dates, authorship and links to original material.
3. Compare an independent source and note disagreements.

Prepare for the activity

Start with a precise question about an event or figure. Record the subject, place and time before searching. Matching keywords do not guarantee a matching event, especially when old posts circulate without dates.

Examples and adaptations

Check the responsible organisation, publication date and referenced original document. Several identical articles may share one source rather than independently confirm it. Compare against an organiser's notice and record unresolved discrepancies.

Continue and review progress

Save the link with a sentence explaining what it supports. Separate checked information from personal interpretation and identify quotations. State when evidence is insufficient instead of choosing the most appealing answer. Apply the same habit to forwarded messages.

After the activity

Save the link and access date. Mark unresolved information as something to investigate.