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Evaluating Information: Lateral Reading

Evaluating Information is an online toolkit for students and instructors promoting the key information skills for democratic citizenship. The guide features videos, articles, handouts and other resources.

Lateral vs Vertical

The act of lateral reading is the process of verifying what you're reading while you're reading it. It allows you to read deeply and broadly while gaining a fuller understanding of an issue or topic and determining whether to trust the content as presented.

Vertical reading occurs when the reader simply reads the story or site without going further, taking it at face value as being reliable. The reader may use some superficial evaluation strategies to determine if the site is credible, such as reading the about page, looking at its URL extension (.edu, .org, .com, .gov), or assessing its advertising.

What Does Lateral Reading Do?

  • Determine the author's credibility, intents and biases by searching for articles by other writers on the same topic.
  • Understand the perspective of the site's analyses.
  • Determine whether the site has an editorial process or expert reputation supporting the credibility and accuracy of its content.

Videos

Further Reading

How to Read Laterally

Use the strategies and ask the questions that professional fact-checkers use:

  • Go beyond the "about" page of the site you're reading.
  • Search for articles by other writers on the same topic.
  • Search for articles about the site you're reading.

Ask the following:

  • Who funds or sponsors the site where the original piece was published?
  • What do other authoritative sources have to say about that site?
  • When you do a search on the topic of the original piece, are the initial results from fact-checking organizations?
  • Have questions been raised about other articles the author has written?
  • Does what you’re finding elsewhere contradict the original piece?
  • Are credible news outlets reporting on (or perhaps more important, not reporting on) what you’re reading?

from "Expand Your View with Lateral Reading," News Literacy Project.