The web gives us many strategies, tactics, and tools, which, properly used, can get students closer to the truth of a statement or image within seconds. Unfortunately, we do not always teach students these specific techniques. As many people have noted, the web is both the largest propaganda machine ever created and the most amazing fact-checking tool ever invented. But if we haven’t taught our students those fact-checking capabilities, is it any surprise that propaganda is winning?

We're going to show you those techniques. How to assess the reputation of a scientific journal in less than five seconds and how to see if a tweet is from a celebrity or impostor. How to search the text of almost any printed book to verify a quote. How to avoid including confirmation bias into your search terms. How to search for the source of an image. How to find out who is behind the website you are looking at, and what their agenda is.

This is the instruction manual to reading on the modern internet. We hope you find it useful.