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SCU FACT CHECKING GUIDE

Who is the author?

Research the author’s background, expertise, purposes and potential bias.

Essential tips:

1

Identify the training that the author has received and what fields they are an expert in.

2

Check if their work has been cited in other places by experts in the same field.

Be sure that the author addresses the opposing viewpoint.

3

4

Consider the author’s possible biases. Check their background, purpose, employer, etc.

Check the style that the author uses and the tone with which they portray their point.

5

Author Credibility:

 

A quick Google search for evidence on the author’s background information and other publications can tell a lot about an author’s credibility. Try answering the following questions with your search:

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  1. What training or expertise do they have?

    • Check for academic credentials and/or degrees that they have received.

  2. What other articles have they written?

    • Look at the other articles that they have written. Are they in the same field? Do they also seem like they are academic?

    • What is the typical genre in which the author publishes? Does it match their area of expertise?

    • Is the article you are fact checking within the author’s genre?

  3. How often are they cited in other people’s publications?

    • Check to see if the article has been cited in other academic papers. Generally, the more heavily cited, the more credible the author.

  4. Google the article title.

    • Does the article appear as one of the top search results? Google’s algorithm takes into account the number of times each result has been cited, so if it is a top result, it might be more relevant and credible.

    • Try Google Scholar. Is it still a top result?

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Author Bias:

 

Another important aspect of the author to investigate is their biases. This is essential in helping you determine the viewpoint from which they are approaching the topic. Ask yourself the following, referencing the answers you found to the questions in the previous section:

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  1. What is the purpose for writing this article?

    • Can you extrapolate possible motives using the author’s affiliations? Perhaps the individual has particular interest in a political party, institution, source of funding, or something else?

  2. What audience is the author addressing?

    • What audience does the author intend to read their paper?

    • What influence does the author hope to have over this group?

    • What biases might this group have?

  3. What tone is the author taking in article?

    • Is the author’s writing sarcastic? This might mean the piece is a satire.

    • Is the tone exaggerated or hyperbolic? This might mean satire, or something just plain fake.

  4. Does the author offer different voices to the topic by engaging with multiple perspectives?

    • Does the author stick to one side of a binary or do they bust it?

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