Skip to Main Content
Library
LibGuides
Misinformation & Pseudoscience
Home
Search this Guide
Search
Misinformation & Pseudoscience: Home
Home
Information Literacy 101
Science vs. Pseudoscience
Test Yourself!
How well can you tell fact from opinion?
Fact-Check!
Snopes.com
Founded in 1994, Snopes checks the facts for urban legends, rumors, and misinformation.
FactCheck.org
This website is run by the University of Pennsylvania, and provides information about the factual accuracy of claims made by political figures.
PolitiFact
Pulitzer-prize winning website that fact-checks political statements.
Engaging with others
How to talk to a conspiracy theorist
Tips for talking to those with whom you disagree
Core beliefs
You're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you
Why is it so hard to change our own minds?
9 Tricks to Avoid Fake News
Links
How false news reports affect our thoughts
This article describes a study that examined how false information affects individuals' cognitive abilities.
How to spot "fake news"
3-minute video from an expert who teaches children how to identify false information presented as fact
Hypothesis or Theory?
The dictionary describes the difference between "hypothesis" and "theory," two words used commonly to refer to the same thing, but which actually have different meanings in scientific discourse.
Tricks propagandists use to push their agenda
Propagandists are experts at manipulating information to suit their agenda. Learn their tricks so you are not fooled!
Photo Analysis
Photos can be used as evidence, but considering more than just what's pictured can add context and understanding to an image.
10 clues to the trustworthiness of an article
From EasyBib, 10 quick clues to evaluating an article's trustworthiness
"Fake News" Research Guide
An extensive guide to the "fake news" phenomenon, with links to resources and tips for avoiding false information.
Three types of biases that affect how we perceive information
There are many types of bias, but three of the most prevalent and influential are detailed in this article.
Biases make people vulnerable to misinformation
Your biases may be affecting you subconsciously as you are exposed to information.
What optical illusions can teach us about how we perceive information
“Reality” is constructed by your brain. Here’s what that means, and why it matters.
Our minds have trouble telling fact from fiction
Cognitive scientist Jim Davies writes about why our minds have trouble telling fact from fiction, even if we think we know the difference.
Resources
Recognizing Pseudoscience
5 Basic Scientific Concepts to Help Spot Pseudoscience
5 Tactics Used to Trick
Carl Sagan's Baloney Detection Kit
The Debunking Handbook
Detecting Fake Photos
FLICC: The 5 Techniques of Science Denial
IUE's Fake News LibGuide
This guide provides an extensive set of resources and helpful links related to distinguishing fake news.
Bias Detection
AllSides
AllSides lists news stories from sources, rated by their ideological bias (this data is from user votes).
Media Bias/Fact Check
A comprehensive resource for information about the bias and trustworthiness of online sources.
Media Bias Chart
This up-to-date chart rates media outlets by their level of fact-based reporting and partisan bias.
Historical example
Phrenology
Scientific verdict on phrenology
Recent Example
People spent $38 on bottles of hot dog water
Next:
Information Literacy 101 >>