Step 3Primary source · 2 sourcesWell documented
Find better coverage of the claim
Search the claim itself, then read the results before clicking
On the timeline · around Step 3 ·
Quick facts
- Technique
- Click restraint
What happened
Search for the claim rather than the article. Scan the whole first page of results before opening anything, a habit Stanford's curriculum calls click restraint, and look for whether outlets with real reporting standards carry the story. If the only places repeating a dramatic claim are places you have never heard of, that is your answer forming.
Why it matters
You often do not need to verify a claim yourself. Someone more equipped may already have, so find them.
How we know
SIFT's third move, plus the click restraint lesson from Stanford's Civic Online Reasoning curriculum.
Sources
- Stanford History Education Group. Civic Online Reasoning curriculum (Stanford) (2024) · Reputable sourcecor.stanford.edu · The domain "cor.stanford.edu" is on our Reputable source registry. · Link checked and content matched (Jul 2026)
- Mike Caulfield. SIFT (The Four Moves) (2019) · Primary source (author-declared)hapgood.us · Cited as a "primary" source (no stronger domain match). · Link checked and content matched (Jul 2026)
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Part of a guideHow to Fact-Check a Claim You Read Online6 steps · Read like a professional fact-checker: four moves that catch most bad claims in under two minutes.View all →