Evaluating content

When evaluating Web content I think it is important to use several different methods to authenticate the accuracy of the information. The very first thing I do is to find out who the author of the Web site is. I do this for two reasons. First, I want to know if the person can be considered an expert on the subject. What type of credentials do they have? Have they worked in a position to afford them unique knowledge on a subject? Have they earned a degree in a specific field? The second thing is I want to know if the person has a hidden agenda. Is the person writing the information from a personal point of view without reference to facts? Is the person trying to share their ideology and pass it off as factual content? If I am satisfied with the author I will usually take it one further step – check out a few other Web sites to see if they corroborate the information I am reading.
My face-to-face method for judging in-person content differs significantly from my judging of online content. In a face-to-face meeting I am interacting with the person. There is a give and take where I might question them deeper to see if the expertise is there or their content hangs together. If they start stumbling or exhibit unusual behavior such as shifting feet, eyes or changed body language then I might begin to doubt what they are telling me. I will ask questions like “Where did you hear that?” or “How do you know that?” Their feedback on that will tell me if I can trust the information.
Even though I evaluate face-to-face content differently than Web content I think it is notable that I do not accept each piece of information as absolute fact without some type of filtering process. It is only when I have established trust between the source – online or in person – do I lower my filter and accept information as fact.