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Snopes-ing 101: the Fact-Checkers' Toolbox

Research tips and tricks from the fact-checkers at Snopes.

Published Dec 20, 2021

 (Snopes)
Image Via Snopes

There's nothing mysterious about fact-checking. It takes a nose for bunk, a commitment to answering misinformation with hard facts and evidence, and the determination to dig for facts and keep on digging till you get to the truth. 

The process might start with connecting the dots between questionable social media accounts, doing a reverse-image search on suspect photographs, making contact with expert sources, or taking a deep dive into an online newspaper archive. In a word, research. There's a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips if you know how to find it.

Misinformation is everyone's problem. The more we can all get involved, the better job we can do combating it. To that end, we've started compiling a list of concise how-tos by our reporters and editors for anyone interested in fact-checking and internet research. You'll find our first "Snopes-ing 101" entries below. If you have specific questions you'd like answered or clarified, please contact us!

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