The following are a series of questions to ask yourself whenever you encounter a source, whether through social media or a web search, recommended by a friend, or in a library database.
Strong
Easy
Pause and reflect;
Review the requirements of the task at hand;
Seek additional information about the information task if the requirements are unclear
Medium to Strong
Easy to Challenging
Pause to acknowledge and check gut feelings about the initial appeal of a source;
Develop or reflect on a search strategy;
Go upstream;
Consider credible recommendations
Medium to Strong
Easy to Challenging
Note whether it’s easy to identify the format;
Check the About page for purpose and process information;
Check a few referenced sources;
Perform a few web searches to verify accuracy