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Source Evaluation Techniques

SMELL It Like This

French bulldog smelling lavenderSource: Who is providing the information?

Motivation: Why are they telling me this?

Evidence. What evidence is provided for generalizations?

Logic: Do the facts logically compel the conclusions?

Left Out: What’s missing that might change our interpretation of the information?

Find out more about the SMELL Test.

Dive Deeper

McManus, John. (2013, February 7). Don’t be fooled: Use the SMELL test to separate fact from fiction online. MediaShift. http://mediashift.org/2013/02/dont-be-fooled-use-the-smell-test-to-separate-fact-from-fiction-online038/