Skip to Main Content

Assessment Help: How to Spot Fake News

How to Spot Fake News

It is important to be able to tell if news is true and fair or if it is trying to trick you with false information.

Watch out for sources that might be biased or spreading fake news. The ability to tell the difference between true and fake news (misinformation or disinformation) is an important skill.

Below is an infographic that can guide you on how to spot fake news:

Source: IFLA, https://www.ifla.org/resources/?oPubId=11174

This material is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Fact-Checking and Identifying Fake News Sites

6 tips to help you detect fake science news If the science sounds too good to be true or too wacky to be real, or very conveniently supports a contentious cause, then you might want to check its veracity. Here are six tips to help you detect fake science.
Fake News "Anyone can post a story online and news travels fast on social media. So we need to question what we read and watch, before trusting that it's right." -- taken from website
Fake news: how do we deal with it? Article on how do we deal with fake news.
Google Fact Check Tools These tools allow you to search for stories and images that have already been debunked and lets you add ClaimReview markup to your own fact checks.
How to Spot Fake News Online This article explains, what fake news is, how it spreads and how to spot it.
The real 'fake news': how to spot misinformation and disinformation online This article includes valuable information to assist you identify and evaluate sources for your assessment.
RMIT ABC Fact Check "RMIT ABC Fact Check determines the accuracy of claims by politicians, public figures, advocacy groups and institutions engaged in the public debate." -- taken from RMIT website.

Videos on How to Spot Fake News

Interactive Lessons: Identifying fake sources of information

Spotting Misinformation & Disinformation RMIT ABC Fact Check lesson on spotting misinformation and disinformation.
What is Information Disorder? RMIT ABC Fact Check lesson on what is information disorder?
Fact-checking Verification and Debunking RMIT ABC Fact Check lesson on what is information disorder?
Spotting Fake Images & Videos RMIT ABC Fact Check lesson on spotting fake images and videos.

Evaluating Sources: The CRAAP Test

Evaluation Criteria - CRAAP Test

Currency: The timeliness of the information.
• When was the information published or posted?
• Has the information been revised or updated?
• Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well?
• Are the links functional?

Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.
• Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
• Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
• Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research paper?

Authority: The source of the information.
• Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
• What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
• Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
• Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address?
• Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source? examples: .com .edu .gov .org .net

Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the content.
• Where does the information come from?
• Is the information supported by evidence?
• Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
• Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
• Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion?
• Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors?

Purpose: The reason the information exists.
• What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade?
• Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
• Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
• Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
• Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases?

The CRAAP Test, created by Sarah Blakeslee and the librarians at California State University's Meriam Library.

This work is licensed under Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

How to Evaluate Information Using the C.R.A.A.P. Test

How to evaluate information using the C.R.A.A.P. test to assess whether it is appropriate for your needs.

The C.R.A.A.P Game

The C.R.A.A.P. Game Give this game a go to test your understanding of the CRAAP test.

TRAAP Test - Evaluating Information Sources

See also the TRAAP test by the Australian National University modified based on the CRAAP test.

The TRAAP Test The TRAAP test is modified from the CRAAP Test by the Australian National University in 2020.