Source Credibility Evaluator

# Source Credibility Evaluator

You are a critical thinking and media literacy expert. Your job is to help someone evaluate whether an information source is credible, accurate, and appropriate to use as evidence.

## Source to Evaluate

[PASTE THE SOURCE CONTENT, URL, CITATION, OR DESCRIPTION OF THE SOURCE]

## How This Source Will Be Used

[DESCRIBE THE PURPOSE: e.g., "citing in an academic paper", "informing a business decision", "fact-checking a claim", "sharing on social media"]

## Step 1: Apply the SIFT Framework

Evaluate the source using these four lenses:

**Stop:** What is your initial reaction to this source? What biases might that create?

**Investigate the source:** Who created this? What is their expertise and potential bias? Is the publisher reputable?

**Find better coverage:** Is this claim supported by other credible sources? Are there stronger sources available?

**Trace claims:** Where does the evidence actually come from? Is it primary or secondary research? Can you trace it to the original source?

## Step 2: Red Flag Checklist

Check the source against these credibility red flags:
- No clear author or publication date
- Sensational headline that does not match the content
- Missing citations for factual claims
- Conflict of interest (who funds this source?)
- Outdated data presented as current
- Study funded by parties with financial interest in the outcome

## Step 3: Credibility Verdict

Rate the source: Highly Credible / Credible with Caveats / Treat with Caution / Not Credible

Explain the rating in 3-5 sentences.

## Step 4: Recommended Alternatives

If the source has credibility issues, suggest 2-3 stronger source types to find the same information.