BIOLO 1110: Biodiversity and Deer Overpopulation

Scope of the Problem

Let's start by describing the impact of a deer overpopulation problem. Take a look at the links below: 

Gather More Sources

Start by searching the databases below for information about the possible solutions for managing the deer population.  What can you find from credible sources?

Evaluate Your Sources

Not sure if your sources are good?  Check out the information below to learn more about the SIFT method of evaluating sources. 

The SIFT strategy, designed by Mike Caulfield, is a good way to test the information you find to make sure it is accurate and authoritative.  SIFT involves the following steps: 

• Stop!
• Investigate the Source
• Find Better Coverage
• Trace claims, quotes, media to the original context

Stop

Before you read the information, ask yourself what you know about the topic (what information would you expect to see?) and the website that published it. What is the website’s mission? What type of information would you expect to see covered?   This step is especially important to follow when the headline, image, or lead sentences of an article provoke a strong emotional reaction.

Investigate the Source

Begin by asking if the individual author of your work is an expert in some way. This might include education, life experience, or in the case when the information you find does not have an individual author, looking at the group that takes responsibility for a website. (For example, the Environmental Protection Agency does not generally list individual authors of content on its pages, but given that experts in environmental sciences work there, the information found on its pages can be assumed to be reliable. See their page on clean energy programs as an example.)

If you cannot easily find information about your author on the source you’re using, search for more information using Google or another search engine. Most professional authors will have a website where they list their education, experience, and the focus of their work.

Find Better Coverage

If you are quoting something that might be questionable such as a website that might be biased, or one that doesn’t have a clearly labeled author or corporate author, or one that has information that might be out of date, look for the information you need in a trusted source such as a newspaper, scholarly article, government website, or other place where information is put together by trusted professionals?  If so, use that source instead. (If you’re ever hesitant about whether or not your information is too old, speak with your professor about the right date range for your topic.)

Trace claims, quotes, media to the original context

If the source you are evaluating has images, quotations, or claims from other sources, try to find them in their original context. You can follow a citation, search Google for recognizable text, or even right click on an image in order to search Google other places the image might be published. This will help you to determine if your original source is accurately representing the image, claim, or quotation, or if they are not providing truthful information.

Learn More

You can find more about SIFT as a technique for evaluating information on Caulfield's website.  You can also look at the COD Library's guide to evaluating information.