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Sexuality resources

Fact checking and evaluating resources

The Five Minute Fact Check (from New Jersey State Library)

Read content

  • Is the information (or fact) from your source cited?
  • If there is a citation, what is the quality of the source?
  • Is the original source a primary source? Eg. law/bill, study or academic paper, dataset, interview, report, etc.?

Conduct a web search and review results list

  • Is the fact you're searching for widely reported?
  • Do you see consistent information being reported by experts or reputable sources?
  • Can you locate the original source that reported the "fact"?

Search a fact-checking site


Considerations when evaluating sources

ACCODS checklist

  • Authority: Identifying who is responsible for the intellectual content.
  • Accuracy: Is the document supported by credible, authoritative sources?
  • Coverage: Does the document clearly state parameters that define their content coverage?
  • Objectivity: Is there bias? Is it easily detected?
  • Date: Can you find the date? For the content to inform your research it must have a date to confirm relevance
  • Significance: Does the document add something unique to the research?

(Summary of the ACCODS checklist was taken from the McMaster University Library "Finding Grey Literature Page: https://hslmcmaster.libguides.com/c.php?g=532218&p=3640975)

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