Check Your Facts
If you need help using any of these resources, please ask a librarian!
Many news outlets, magazines and blogs pull information from academic articles—how many times have you seen the headline "New study finds [something amazing]"? Often, however, this information is simplified or misrepresented (intentionally or not). The best way to get the full story and important context is to read the original academic article.
Always double-check data and statistical information before sharing; after all, 97% of statistics are made up on the spot!
Submitting a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request can help you access documents and statistics relating to local, state and federal governments.
Navigating government documents can be intimidating, but Northeastern has access to a variety of tools to make it easier.
Fact Checking Projects
Snopes.com debunks fake news, "alternative facts," altered images and media, and urban legends. In addition to determining whether a piece of information is true or false, Snopes staff demonstrate how they researched the claim and assessed its legitimacy.
This nonpartisan project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center investigates news stories.
This Pulitzer Prize-winning project rates the truthfulness of claims made by politicians on both sides of the aisle.
Authored by leading journalists from the BBC, Storyful, ABC, Digital First Media and other verification experts, the Verification Handbook is a groundbreaking new resource for journalists and aid providers. It provides the tools, techniques and step-by-step guidelines for how to deal with user-generated content (UGC) during emergencies. See also: Verification Handbook for Investigative Reporting and additional materials.
This project advocates "the truth behind the rhetoric."