WR121 Genres

This guide is for WR121 students to support their investigations related to writing in a variety of genres.

SIFT: Stop - Investigate the source - Find trusted coverage - Trace back to the original

When evaluating a website, look beyond the page itself. Some sites look very professional and credible but are actually giving you biased or untrue information.

This short, online video from Mike Caulfield at Washington State University gets you started on becoming an efficient fact checker:

Three more very short videos of Mike Caulfield explaining fact-checking techniques.

Lateral reading

How to read laterally:

  • Leave the website, open new tabs, and seek additional information about a website's credibility, reputation, funding, and potential biases.
  • Don't just rely on the information found on the website itself. Don't take their word for it. See what others have to say.
  • Lateral reading allows you to get a more complete perspective on the credibility of a source.