Evaluating sources: Use the ACT UP test

Make bias and positionality central to assessing your sources.

We need to be active producers and consumers of all forms of media.
- As consumers, we need to think critically about the resources we are using and citing in our projects.
- As producers, we need to be well informed about the resources we repost, retweet, or share with our friends, followers, and other internet users.
We have a social responsibility to share information that is accurate, evidence-based, and where the bias and/or position of the creator(s) is clearly acknowledged and challenged.

Why ACT UP?

ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) is a direct-action advocacy group working to help those living with AIDS. ACT UP has been active since the 1980s.
To ACT UP is to push back against (i.e., challenge and change) dominant narratives, stereotypes that marginalize certain social groups, and oppressive hierarchies of knowledge production (i.e., ways of knowing and being that privilege one or more social groups over others).
Using the original ACT UP advocacy work as a model, this ACT UP test is designed to encourage information users to ask key questions that help them think critically about their sources as well as their own positionality/privilege and biases.

Resources
The following resources can be downloaded and used when evaluating information.

ACT UP Infographic.pdf (94.56 KB)

2021 ACT UP blank rubric.pdf (199.25 KB)

A (authority)

Definition

Test questions

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Authoritative information is produced by an author(s) who has/have relevant expertise and knowledge and is considered reputable.

Who wrote the resource?
What else did the author(s) write?
What are the author(s)’s organizational affiliations?
Who published the information?
Is there a conflict of interest (i.e., a conflict between the interests of the creator(s) and the consumers of the information?

Search for more information about the author(s), i.e., the credentials and backgrounds of affiliated writers, editors, publishers, or domain owners.
Do an online search using the website's title and/or authors to find out if anyone has reported the site as a source of fake news.

C (currency)

Definition

Test questions

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Current information is the most up to date research, ideas, facts available on a topic.

When was the information published or posted?
Is the information updated regularly?
Do all links function?
Is the information current enough for your research (i.e., do you need up to date information?)?

Identify when the resource was published and/or last updated.
Confirm that the resource publication date fits with the required date range of your research (e.g., check assignment requirements).

T (truthfulness)

Definition

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Truthful or accurate information is error-free (i.e., correct) and supported by evidence from other reputable sources.

Note:
A reputable source (e.g., a website) may contain information that is based on unsound research, misinformation, and/or false claims.

Confirm that there is a reference list (or bibliography).
Double check that academic sources are published in peer reviewed journals.
Review the citations for evidence of a citation "circle," i.e., use of sources that are drawn exclusively from a limited group of authors and/or disciplines that could exclude certain perspectives and/or voices.
Reread the source to identify any typos and spelling mistakes in the text.
Try and verify any of the source claims in other resources.
Follow the rule of three: you should be able to back up claims in at least three other sources.

U (unbiased)

Definition

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Unbiased information is relatively free of personal judgement and/or point of view.

However, most author(s) have a point of view or bias, which can influence their purpose or intent when creating information.

Likewise, our own points of view or biases can influence our source choices and interpretations.

What are the author’s bias(es)?
What is the author’s purpose or intention in creating the information? (Intent influences the nature of the content.)
What are your biases?

Reread the source to find any statement of the author’s point of view, bias, or mission.
Identify any source of financial support for the source (e.g., for research projects).
Look for a 'Legal' or 'Disclaimer' statement or section.
Evaluate the language used in the resource to determine if it is relatively objective or subjective and provocative.
Reflect upon your own biases and source choices (for example, how do you filter your search results?).

P (positionality and privilege)

Definition	Test questions	Find answers
Information can reflect the positionality and socioeconomic and political privileges of an author or authors. Positionality can be defined as the social and political context that creates an individual’s or group’s identity in terms of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability status.	Who can and is researching and publishing on a given topic in a given discipline? Who participated in a given research project and do did not? Who is in the intended audience and who has been excluded from this audience? What is your positionality and privilege?	Reflect on the diversity of perspectives that are represented by the available materials. Identify authors (i.e., voices) that could be missing from a research conversation. Search for alternative authors (voices) in a range of sources that include alternative media (e.g., blogs, zines, and open access journals). Review the methodology section of a source (if available). Review research results to determine they could be applied to a 'general' population. Reflect on your ability (i.e., privilege) to access resources. Identify any barriers to access such as money (i.e., the source protected behind a paywall?) and status (i.e., do users need an academic affiliation to read the resource?).

Attribution