{"id":73660,"date":"2024-07-31T00:20:32","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T04:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=73660"},"modified":"2024-07-31T00:20:32","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T04:20:32","slug":"verifying-facts-in-the-age-of-ai-librarians-offer-5-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/verifying-facts-in-the-age-of-ai-librarians-offer-5-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"Verifying facts in the age of AI \u2013 librarians offer 5 strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0phenomenal growth in artificial intelligence tools<\/a>\u00a0has made it easy to create a story quickly, complicating a reader\u2019s ability to determine if a news source or article is truthful or reliable. For instance, earlier this year, people were sharing an article about the\u00a0supposed suicide of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s psychiatrist<\/a>\u00a0as if it were real. It ended up being an\u00a0AI-generated rewrite<\/a>\u00a0of a satirical piece from 2010.<\/p>\n

The problem is widespread. According to a 2021\u00a0Pearson Institute\/AP-NORC poll<\/a>, \u201cNinety-five percent of Americans believe the spread of misinformation is a problem.\u201d The Pearson Institute researches methods to reduce global conflicts.<\/p>\n

As library scientists, we combat the increase in misinformation by teaching a number of ways to validate the accuracy of an article. These methods include the\u00a0SIFT Method<\/a>\u00a0(Stop, Investigate, Find, Trace), the\u00a0P.R.O.V.E.N. Source Evaluation method<\/a>\u00a0(Purpose, Relevance, Objectivity, Verifiability, Expertise and Newness), and lateral reading.<\/p>\n

Lateral reading is a strategy for investigating a source by opening a new browser tab to conduct a search and consult other sources. Lateral reading involves cross-checking the information by researching the source rather than scrolling down the page.<\/p>\n

Here are five techniques based on these methods to help readers determine news facts from fiction:<\/p>\n

1. Research the author or organization<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Search for information beyond the entity\u2019s own website. What are others saying about it? Are there any red flags that lead you to question its credibility? Search the entity\u2019s name in quotation marks in your browser and look for sources that critically review the organization or group. An organization\u2019s \u201cAbout\u201d page might tell you who is on their board, their mission and their nonprofit status, but this information is typically written to present the organization in a positive light.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0P.R.O.V.E.N. Source Evaluation method<\/a>\u00a0includes a section called \u201cExpertise,\u201d which recommends that readers check the author\u2019s credentials and affiliations. Do the authors have advanced degrees or expertise related to the topic? What else have they written? Who funds the organization and what are their affiliations? Do any of these affiliations reveal a potential conflict of interest? Might their writings be biased in favor of one particular viewpoint?<\/p>\n

If any of this information is missing or questionable, you may want to stay away from this author or organization.<\/p>\n

2. Use good search techniques<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Become familiar with search techniques available in your favorite web browser, such as searching keywords rather than full sentences and limiting searches by domain names, such as .org, .gov, or .edu.<\/p>\n

Another good technique is putting two or more words in quotation marks so the search engine finds the words next to each other in that order, such as \u201cPizzagate conspiracy<\/a>.\u201d This leads to more relevant results.<\/p>\n

In an article published in Nature<\/a>, a team of researchers wrote that \u201c77% of search queries that used the headline or URL of a false\/misleading article as a search query return at least one unreliable news link among the top ten results.\u201d<\/p>\n

A more effective search would be to identify the key concepts in the headline in question and search those individual words as keywords. For example, if the headline is \u201cVideo Showing Alien at Miami Mall Sparks Claims of Invasion,\u201d readers could search: \u201cAlien invasion\u201d Miami mall.<\/p>\n

3. Verify the source<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Verify the original sources of the information. Was the information cited, paraphrased or quoted accurately? Can you find the same facts or statements in the original source?\u00a0Purdue Global<\/a>, Purdue University\u2019s online university for working adults, recommends verifying citations and references that can also apply to news stories by checking that the sources are \u201ceasy to find, easy to access, and not outdated.\u201d It also recommends checking the original studies or data cited for accuracy.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0SIFT Method<\/a>\u00a0echoes this in its recommendation to \u201ctrace claims, quotes, and media to the original context.\u201d You cannot assume that re-reporting is always accurate.<\/p>\n

4. Use fact-checking websites<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Search fact-checking websites such as\u00a0InfluenceWatch.org<\/a>,\u00a0Poynter.org<\/a>,\u00a0Politifact.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Snopes.com<\/a>\u00a0to verify claims. What conclusions did the fact-checkers reach about the accuracy of the claims?<\/p>\n

A Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review article found that the \u201chigh level of agreement\u201d between fact-checking sites \u201cenhances the credibility of fact checkers<\/a>\u00a0in the eyes of the public.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Pause and reflect<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Pause and reflect to see if what you have read has triggered a strong emotional response. An article in the journal Cognitive Research indicates that news items that cause strong emotions\u00a0increase our tendency<\/a>\u00a0\u201cto believe fake news stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

One online study found that the simple act of \u201cpausing to think\u201d and reflect on whether a headline is true or false may\u00a0prevent a person from sharing false information<\/a>. While the study indicated that pausing only decreases intentions to share by a small amount \u2013 0.32 points on a 6-point scale \u2013 the authors argue that this could nonetheless cut down on the spread of fake news on social media.<\/p>\n

Knowing how to identify and check for misinformation is an important part of being a responsible digital citizen. This skill is all the more important as AI becomes more prevalent.<\/p>\n

Author Bios:<\/strong> Tracy Bicknell-Holmes is a Library Professor, Elaine Watson is a Librarian and Associate Professor and Jose Guillermo ‘Memo’ Cordova Silva is a Library Associate Professor all at Boise State University<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0phenomenal growth in artificial intelligence tools\u00a0has made it easy to create a story quickly, complicating a reader\u2019s ability to determine if a news source or article is truthful or reliable. For instance, earlier this year, people were sharing an article about the\u00a0supposed suicide of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s psychiatrist\u00a0as if it were real. It […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[434804],"tags":[435045],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-73660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-artificial-intelligence","tag-fact-verification"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nVerifying facts in the age of AI \u2013 librarians offer 5 strategies - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/verifying-facts-in-the-age-of-ai-librarians-offer-5-strategies\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Verifying facts in the age of AI \u2013 librarians offer 5 strategies - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The\u00a0phenomenal growth in artificial intelligence tools\u00a0has made it easy to create a story quickly, complicating a reader\u2019s ability to determine if a news source or article is truthful or reliable. 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