Title: Evaluate sources of consumer information.
Course: Independent Living (22904-18) > Section: Making Responsible Consumer Choices

Evaluation may include

- government or community agencies (e.g., Federal Trade Commission [FTC], Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [CFPB])
- consumer-oriented publications (e.g., news articles, Consumer Reports, peer review journals, trade publications)
- advice from others (e.g., family, friends, experts, sales representatives, online reviews)
- point-of-purchase sources (e.g., labels, packages, displays)
- media (e.g., television programs, podcasts, email, websites, social media, AI)
- advertising (e.g., print, television, radio, Internet, social media).

Evaluation should also include answering the following questions for each source identified:

- What factors make this author or source of information believable? If not believable, why not?
- What are the credentials of the author or source of information?
- Where and when was the information published?
- What does the source have to gain by promoting the information?
- How is the information presented? Is it presented in a logical way and supported by valid research?
- How many valid sources support the same information?
- What do other sources say about this information?

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

- How does one spot a scam on the Internet and in other vulnerable formats (e.g., email, text messages)?
- Why is it important to verify unknown information before taking action?

Communication

- What sources of information does one use to help one decide what to purchase?

Leadership

- Why are some evaluation tools better than others for determining the credibility of an online source?

Management

- What steps should one take to ensure a source is reliable?
- How does one evaluate the sources of consumer fraud?