Throughout the course of the pandemic, many BC residents have turned to the internet to find information on the COVID-19 virus and the available vaccines.
However, according to a 2021 Stats Canada survey titled ‘Misinformation during the COVID-10 pandemic’, the pandemic was accompanied by an overabundance of information which made it quite difficult for people to find reliable sources.
According to the study, this can be very dangerous as misinformation in the context of COVID-19 can endanger the population’s health, especially if the news that spreads is about false prevention measures or treatments.
The Prince George Library is hoping to help residents navigate their way through all of this information by providing some helpful tips that can be used while conducting research online.
Victoria Rezendes, PG Public Library spokesperson, says it is important for readers to be skeptical, but not cynical while online, and they can do so by asking themselves if there is an agenda being pushed by the article, and if there is, asking why the publisher would be pushing that agenda.
“Having a questioning mindset will help you identify reliable from non-reliable sources. Ask yourself if the information is peer-reviewed, cited by professionals in that field of research, or if something is too good to be true,” she said.
Additionally, Rezendes reminds residents to identify the difference between facts and opinions.
“Facts are verifiable through experimentation and are scientifically-backed by rigorous study. They do not change regardless of personal beliefs. Facts are more likely to contain specific details such as dates, names, times, and references than opinions. They also do not overgeneralize,” Rezendes stated.
She adds articles that use absolutes such as ‘everyone’, ‘never’, or ‘always’ could be a red flag to a reader as these are very general, sweeping statements.
“Opinions, on the other hand, will fluctuate depending on personal beliefs. They are not backed by rigorous study and will appeal to emotion verses promoting analytical thought from a reader. Opinions can use buzzwords to get a reader’s attention or use phrases such as ‘I feel’ or ‘you should’, all the while not referencing or citing peer-reviewed sources.”
Identifying the source of the article is important as well, and readers are advised to consider a few things such as where the information came from, who wrote it and why it is being used in the first place.
Additionally, Rezendes says to consider whether or not the sources are peer-reviewed or not, noting that a peer-reviewed article or scholarly publication is a document that has been scrutinized by other experts in the same field of study who have nothing to gain from that publication.
She adds it is important for readers to identify their own biases, which is something that inclines a person to favor or believe one person, group, or concept over another.
“Everyone is biased to some degree. Being aware of your own biases is helpful to know when an article is appealing to your emotion or to help you understand why you are agreeing or disagreeing with an article,” she added.
Finally, Rezendes reminds residents that memes are not news, and while they can be very funny and appeal to emotion, anyone can make them and they have not been peer-reviewed.