 We find, use, and share information online every day. It's something we're used to. But that doesn't always mean we're great at deciding what to trust and what to challenge. There's a lot of bad info out there and we can't simply trust Google or other search engines to weed it out for us. So what do we do? Let's take a quick look at some steps you should take when you find information online. Check your emotions. Early emotional news headlines and videos are often more likely to go viral. Why? People are more likely to react, respond, and share when they have a strong emotional reaction to information. So if you immediately find yourself emotional about information you've found, step back. Do some digging in and see if there is more to the story before you share or use that information. Check previous work. Now remember, the internet is a huge and active place. Chances are when some bad information pops up, someone is already out there doing the legwork to get the fact checking done. There are even sites dedicated specifically to fact checking. These sites are known for their reliability, accountability, use of authoritative sources, and the ability to crowdsource research. Wikipedia can also be incredibly useful, especially when you use it to find links to other sources of information. Go upstream to the source. Often the information you're investigating came from somewhere else. It's not original to that page or post, and it may have been rewritten or misinterpreted before it got to you. Get back to that original source to really figure out what that information is all about. Only then can you start to evaluate it. See if the information came from another website, news organization, or individual. And follow it back to where it started. Read laterally. Once you get to an original source, don't just spend your time on that page or site. Use the power of the web to figure out who is responsible for that information. Why are they qualified to say anything on that topic? Are they head-on accountable for the quality of the information they produce? What is their motivation? What are other reliable sources saying about that original information? A simple Google or Wikipedia search can often provide a lot of information about an individual or an organization. It's important to do this without a reading to get context about the source of the information, and then you can work to determine if the source is legit. Circle back. If you hit a dead end, try again. You can use the information in context you've already discovered to take another shot. Take action. Don't let your information environment become polluted. If you know information is incorrect, don't share that bad info again, even if you're only doing it to discredit it. Take a more active role in combating inaccurate or misleading content by using the feedback option in Google and social media to correct errors and halt the spread of inaccurate info. Edit Wikipedia pages with updated and accurate information, or ask your teachers to get your class involved in student fact-checking projects. When information is easier than ever to produce and share, we have to be even more thoughtful about how we select our resources. So find, use, and share away. But be vigilant, and that's how you inform your thinking. And be sure to take a look at the free online textbook, Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers, by Mike Caulfield. It has more useful details and activities that will improve your online search skills.