Having 24/7 access to the Internet and information via social media is an amazing thing but it also means inaccurate information can spread quickly. Here are three quick steps we can take to make sure the information we are using and sharing is accurate*:
1. Investigate the source. Is it a reliable source of unbiased news and information or has the source been created for another purpose? Not sure? Try typing: Source URL Wikipedia. For example: www.nytimes.com wikipedia
2. Find the original source. One information source often cites or quotes another. Find out where their information is coming from then check that source. (Use the Wikipedia trick shown above.)
3. Check better sources. Over time you will develop your own list of trusted sources you can check when you see something crazy or surprising on the web. You can go to those sources, search for the story, and if nothing pops up you know it's a hoax or a joke. It takes time to develop that list, so until you have your own, please see below for links to the following sites recommended by librarians and fact checkers: Snopes, Factcheck.org, Politifact, and ProPublica. You might also want to add long-published newspapers like the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, or The New York Times. You can access these newspapers on the WWW or through the Library's US Major Dailies database.
*This information comes from a series of YouTube videos created by Mike Caulfield at Washington State University. It was created as part of NewsWise, an online literacy program created in Canada.
One last caveat: Make sure you read a social media post before you share it. (That means you read the whole thing and you only share things that you believe are accurate.) Only you can prevent misinformation!
Recommended Web Sites 
The Internet can be a valuable source for supplementing the information you have gathered from books and periodicals.
Note: Subject specific websites are listed on the subject specific controversial issue research guides.
Here are a few more general sites that may help you with your research:
