8 Four Moves and a Habit
Anytime you come across and use information you should check its credibility and reliability. One strategy you can use to help you do that is the four moves and a habit which was created by Mike Caufield. The four moves of this strategy are:
- Check for Previous Work – Look around to see if someone else has already fact-checked the claim or provided a synthesis of research. A great example of this step is provided in Mike Caulfield’s “Investigate the Source” video.
- Go Upstream to the Source – Go “upstream” to the source of the claim. Most web content is not original. Get to the original source to understand the trustworthiness of the information. A great example of this step is provided in Mike Caulfield’s “Find the Original Source” video.
- Read Laterally – Read laterally. Once you get to the source of a claim, read what other people say about the source (publication, author, etc.). The truth is in the network. A great example of this step is provided in Mike Caulfield’s “Look for Trusted Work” video.
- Circle Back – If you get lost, hit dead ends, or find yourself going down an increasingly confusing rabbit hole, back up and start over knowing what you know now. You’re likely to take a more informed path with different search terms and better decisions.
Throughout the process of finding and checking information, you may find yourself feeling some strong emotions. Whether those emotions stem from anger or confusion a great habit to learn is recognizing those emotions, taking some time to slow down or take a step back, and then remembering to use the four moves above.
Sources
This section includes material from the source chapter, Four Moves by Mike Caulfield and Kristin Conlin, found in Strategic Information Literacy, licensed as CC BY 4.0, as well as the following:
“Online Verification Skills – Video 2: Investigate the Source.” YouTube, uploaded by CTRL-F, 29 June 2018.
“Online Verification Skills – Video 3: Find the Original Source.” YouTube, uploaded by CTRL-F, 25 May 2018.
“Online Verification Skills – Video 4: Look for Trusted Work.” YouTube, uploaded by CTRL-F, 25 May 2018.
