How not to get caught in a lie on the Internet: 5 simple steps to check your information

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Learn how to evaluate the source, author, date, content, and comparison of information online using useful tools and resources.

The Internet is a huge source of information, but you can't always trust what we find online. How to distinguish truth from lies, facts from opinions, scientific data from myths? In this article, we will tell you how to check the accuracy of information on the Internet and what tools and resources will help you do this.

Why is it important to check information online?​

Nowadays, information is a valuable resource that can influence our decisions, opinions, knowledge, and behavior. However, we may not always be sure that the information we receive from the Internet is truthful, accurate, and objective. There are many reasons why unreliable or false information can be spread on the Internet:

• Errors or carelessness of authors or sources
• Deliberate distortion or falsification of information for the purpose of manipulation, propaganda or profit
• Incompetence or bias of authors or sources
• Mismatch of information with the current state of knowledge or events
• Having different points of view or interpretations of the same information

If we don't check the information on the Internet, we risk:

• Fall under the influence of false or misleading statements
• Accept as facts opinions or conjectures
• Lose time or money on useless or harmful products or services
• Missing out on important or useful information
• Undermine your reputation or other people's trust

Therefore, it is important to develop your critical thinking skills and be able to check information online using various tools and resources.

How do I check the accuracy of information on the Internet?​

There are several ways to check the accuracy of information on the Internet. We offer you the following scheme:

1. Evaluate the source of information
2. Rate the author of the information
3. Estimate the date of publication of the information
4. Evaluate the content of the information
5. Compare the information with other sources

Let's take a closer look at each of these steps.

1. Evaluate the source of information​

The source of information is the website, channel, blog, newspaper, or magazine from which you receive information. To evaluate its reliability, you can pay attention to the following aspects:

• The domain is the part of the site address after the dot, for example. ru, .com,. org, etc. The domain can give you a hint about who owns the site and what its purpose is. For example, domains .gov or .mil usually belong to government or military organizations, domains .edu or .acs usually belong to educational or scientific institutions, domains .orgs are usually owned by non-profit organizations. However, not all domains are controlled equally strictly, so you should not rely only on them.
• Design is what a website looks like: its colors, fonts, images, advertising, etc. The design can give you a hint about how professionally and efficiently the site is made. For example, if a site looks outdated, unreadable, overloaded with ads or errors, this may indicate that its creators do not care about their reputation and user experience.
• The description is what is written on the site about its purpose, mission, authors, and contacts. The description can give you a hint about who is behind the site and what information it provides. For example, if a site explicitly states its name, address, phone number, and email address, this may indicate its transparency and responsibility.
• Reviews are what other people or resources write about the site. Reviews can give you a hint about the site's reputation and how much others trust it. For example, you can view what is written about the site in online encyclopedias, social networks, forums, or specialized services such as Web of Trust or FactCheck.org.

To learn more about the source of information, you can use various tools and resources, such as:

• Google Search is the most popular search engine on the Internet, which allows you to find information for any query. You can use Google Search to learn more about a source of information by entering its name or address in the search bar. You can also use special search operators to narrow or expand the search area. For example, you can use the site: operator to find information only on a specific site, or the-site: operator to exclude information from a specific site. You can also use the inurl:, intitle:, filetype: and other operators to search for information based on specific parameters. You can read more about how to use Google Search here.
• Google News is a service from Google that allows you to find news information on any topic. You can use Google News to find out more about a source of information by entering its name or address in the search bar. You can also filter results by date, language, region, or source type. You can also subscribe to specific topics or sources to receive notifications about new posts. You can read more about how to use Google News here.
• Google Scholar is a service from Google that allows you to find scientific information on any topic. You can use Google Scholar to learn more about a source of information by entering its name or address in the search bar. You can also filter results by date, document type, or field of science. You can also view citations of a source by other authors and vice versa. You can read more about how to use Google Scholar here.
• About This Result is a feature from Google Search that lets you learn more about the source of information directly from the search results. You can click on the "About this result" button next to the site name and see a short description of the site from online encyclopedias or other resources. You can also see the date when the site was first indexed by Google search robots. This feature is only available in English.

2. Rate the author of the information​

The author of information is the person or organization that created or published the information. To evaluate its reliability, you can pay attention to the following aspects::

• The name is how the author presents himself on the site or in a publication. The name can give you a hint about how open and honest the author is. For example, if the author provides his full name, this may indicate his confidence and responsibility. If the author uses a pseudonym or anonymously, this may indicate his secrecy or bad faith.
• Qualification is how an author proves their competence and authority in the topic they are writing about. The qualification can give you a hint about how well the author understands the topic and how trustworthy they are. For example, if an author indicates their education, work experience, publications, or awards, this may indicate their professionalism and expertise. If the author does not provide any information about himself or herself or provides dubious information, this may indicate his incompetence or fraud.
• Motivation is why an author writes or publishes information. Motivation can give you a clue about the author's goals and how objective they are. For example, if an author writes or publishes information for educational, scientific, or social purposes, this may indicate their independence and generosity. If the author writes or publishes information for commercial, political, or personal purposes, this may indicate their interest and bias.

To learn more about the author of the information, you can use various tools and resources, such as:

• Google Search - As we mentioned above, you can use Google Search to find information about an author based on their name or other data. You can also use special search operators to narrow or expand the search area. For example, you can use the intext: operator to find information only in the page text, or the site: operator to find information only on a specific site.
• Google Scholar - As we mentioned above, you can use Google Scholar to find scientific information about an author based on their name or other data. You can also view author citations by other authors and vice versa.
• Social networks are platforms on the internet that allow people to communicate and share information. You can use social media to find author profiles and see what they post and how they interact with other people. For example, you can use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social networks.

3. Estimate the date of publication of the information​

The date of publication of information is the time when the information was created or updated. The date of publication of the information can give you a hint about how relevant and plausible the information is. For example:

• If the information relates to a topic where new data or events are constantly appearing, the older information may be less accurate or outdated. For example, if you are looking for information about diseases or treatments, then you should pay attention to the latest sources.
• If the information relates to a topic that requires time to review and analyze data or events, then the newer information may be less reliable or unverified. For example, if you are looking for information about the latest news or scandals, then you should pay attention to the most authoritative and independent sources.

To find out the date of publication of information, you can use various tools and resources, such as:

• Google Search - As we mentioned above, you can use Google Search to find information for any query. You can also filter results by date to see only the latest or oldest information. For example, you can choose the option "Last Hour"," Last Month "or"Last year". You can also use the before: or after: operator to find information only before or after a specific date. For example, you can enter the query "coronavirus before: 2020-01-01" to find information about the coronavirus before 2020.
• Google News - As we mentioned above, you can use Google News to find news information on any topic. You can also filter results by date to see only the latest or oldest information. For example, you can choose the option "Last Hour"," Last Month "or"Last year".
• About this result - As we mentioned above, you can use the Google Search feature to learn more about the source of information directly from the search results. You can also see the date when the site was first indexed by Google search robots.

4. Evaluate the content of the information​

The content of information is what is written or said in text, video, audio, or any other format. To evaluate its reliability, you can pay attention to the following aspects:

• Facts are things that can be verified or proven through observations, measurements, documents, or other sources. Facts can give you a clue about how much information is based on real data and trusted sources. For example, if the information contains figures, statistics, links, or citations, this may indicate that it is factual and accurate. If the information does not contain any facts or provides incorrect or distorted facts, this may indicate that it is false or inaccurate.
• Opinions are things that express the author's or source's personal attitude, view, or assessment of a topic. Opinions can give you a hint about how objective and independent the information is. For example, if the information contains words such as" I think"," I believe"," in my opinion "or" in my opinion", then this may indicate that this is the author's opinion. If the information contains words such as" fact"," truth"," proven "or" scientifically", then this may indicate that this is the opinion of the source. Opinions are not always unreliable or false, but they require critical analysis and comparison with other opinions and facts.
• Emotions are things that evoke certain feelings or moods in the reader or listener. Emotions can give you a clue about how much information is intended to manipulate or influence your behavior. For example, if the information contains words or expressions that are associated with joy, anger, fear, or disgust, then this may indicate that the information is trying to evoke these emotions in you. If the information contains words or expressions that are associated with logic, reason, arguments, or evidence, then this may indicate that the information is trying to appeal to your intelligence.

To learn more about the content of the information, you can use various tools and resources, such as:

• Google Search - As we mentioned above, you can use Google Search to find information for any query. You can also use special search operators to check or compare information. For example, you can use the "" operator to find an exact match for a phrase or quote. You can also use the * operator to replace a missing word in a phrase or quote. For example, you can enter the query "* was the first president of the United States" to find information about who was the first president of the United States.
• Google Images is a service from Google that allows you to find images for any query. You can use Google Images to check or compare information that contains images. For example, you can use the Image Search function to find the source or context of an image. You can also use the "Similar Images" feature to find other images on the same subject or with the same object.
• Google Translate is a service from Google that allows you to translate texts or speech from one language to another. You can use Google Translate to check or compare information that is written in a different language. For example, you can enter text or a link to a site in the translation bar and select the desired language. You can also use the Detect Language feature to find out what language the text is written in.

5. Compare information with other sources​

Comparing information with other sources is what allows you to see different points of view or interpretations of the same information. Comparing information with other sources can give you a clue about how much information is consistent or at odds with generally accepted knowledge or opinions. For example:

• If the information is confirmed or supplemented by other sources, this may indicate its reliability and completeness. For example, if you are looking for information about the geography of Russia, you can compare it with information from different atlases or encyclopedias.

If the information contradicts or differs from other sources, this may indicate that it is false or incomplete. For example, if you are looking for information about the Apollo 11 lunar lander, you can compare it with information from various historical or scientific sources.

To compare information with other sources, you can use various tools and resources, such as:

• Google Search - As we mentioned above, you can use Google Search to find information for any query. You can also use special search operators to find information from different sources. For example, you can use the OR operator to find information from any of the specified sources. You can also use the - operator to exclude information from a specific source. For example, you can enter the query "Apollo 11 lunar lander NASA OR Roscosmos-Wikipedia" to find information about the Apollo 11 lunar lander from NASA or Roscosmos, but not from Wikipedia.
• Google News - As we mentioned above, you can use Google News to find news information on any topic. You can also filter results by source type to see information from different categories, such as General, Business, Sports, Science, etc. You can also subscribe to specific topics or sources to receive notifications about new posts.
• Google Books is a service from Google that allows you to find books for any query. You can use Google Books to find information from various book sources. For example, you can enter the query" Apollo 11 lunar lander " and see the results from various books on this topic. You can also view excerpts or full texts of books, depending on their availability.

Conclusion​

In this article, we will tell you how to check the accuracy of information on the Internet and what tools and resources will help you do this. We have offered you the following scheme:

1. Evaluate the source of information
2. Rate the author of the information
3. Estimate the date of publication of the information
4. Evaluate the content of the information
5. Compare the information with other sources

We hope that this article was useful for you and will help you find truthful, accurate and objective information on the Internet. Remember that critical thinking is your best friend in the age of information warfare!

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