Evaluate Sources

In our modern world, each of us has access to unlimited wells of information in our pockets. With this access comes an important responsibility, the responsibility to evaluate the information we take in. 

There are two terms that we use to talk about incorrect information, especially online: misinformation and disinformation.

Misinformation is defined by Britannica as "the inadvertent spread of false information without intent to harm" (para.1). The big things to notice here are "inadvertent" and "without intent to harm." Misinformation is usually an accident, which can happen if someone doesn't understand a piece of information, if a news story shares unconfirmed details, or if a person doesn't realize a piece of information is missing context. Misinformation is also not created to manipulate truth, even if this is the eventual impact of that piece of misinformation. Misinformation can spread incredibly quickly through the internet, especially social media. 

Disinformation is defined by Britannica as "false information that is designed to mislead others and is deliberately spread with the intent to manipulate truth and facts" (para.5). Disinformation is incorrect on purpose and is often connected to propaganda, conspiracy theories, or bad-faith arguments. It is still easy for disinformation to spread by people without ill intention, just like misinformation. The main difference is the reason behind the information. 

Source:

Encyclopædia Britannica. (n.d.). Misinformation and disinformation. Britannica Academic. Retrieved January 7, 2025, from https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/misinformation-and-disinformation/641441

C.C.O.W. or CCOW is an acronym that Anthony Tardiff, a librarian at Gonzaga University, put together to help students and other researchers evaluate resources. The reason I like this method so much is because it is an easy way to remember that information does not exist in a vacuum. In other words, CCOW encourages us to look at our sources critically using external information.

CCOW stands for Credentials, Claims, Objectives, and Worldview. The rest of the tabs on this guide will go through these four elements of source evaluation in more detail. 

You can also visit Gonzaga's CCOW guide for another perspective on these elements.