Fake news has hit mainstream media which translates to readers sometimes being presented with false and misleading information. Scholarly Communication is also facing similar challenges as bad research, fraud/plagiarism, and the inability to reproduce a published experiment (often referred to in the literature as the “reproducibility crisis”) are seeping into the growing body of scientific literature.

Obtaining and providing accurate information has always been a mindset of librarians and a major component of their commitment to their user communities.

Towards the end of January, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) published a blog post about fake news and alternative facts. Within their post, they also shared a thought provoking infographic about “How to Spot Fake News.”  This infographic was picked up by CNN International, further spreading their message. I would like to continue this trend by sharing with our blog readers these tips on detecting fake news.

To learn more about media and information literacy, don’t hesitate to ASK US.

Donna Gibson
Director of Library Services