Politics

PolitiFact

Fact-Checking, Politics on the Internet

The Poynter Institute. (2019). PolitiFact [website]. Retrieved from https://politifact.com.

Description: This nonprofit-owned investigative team rates political statements for accuracy based on their independent news expertise and then awards them a score on a “truthometer.”

Why I trust it: Politifact’s core values include: thorough reporting, independence, transparency, and fairness. PolitiFact does not accept donations from political parties, elected officials, candidates seeking public office, or anonymous sources.

Use: This organization has only been fact-checking since 2007, but it has since gained a reputation for unbiased investigation into the truth (or lack thereof) of political statements. Use it to gain some perspective on political entities on all sides.

Access: Politifact is free for use through a preferred internet browser from any computer in the United States, and beyond.

A dictionary of political biography

Politics on the Internet

Oxford Reference. (2019). A dictionary of political biography. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com.libproxy.albany.edu/view/10.1093/acref/9780191751080.001.0001/acref-9780191751080.

Description: This online dictionary offers short biographical entries of 870+ noteworthy political figures from the twentieth century, compiled by trustworthy experts.

Why I trust it: Oxford Reference has existed as a produce of scholarly publications since the 15th Century. Currently, the Oxford Press is governed by a large group of academics, and its publications are trusted by libraries worldwide.

Use: There are a lot of names in the news, and some of those people aren’t even alive anymore. Use this dictionary to look up unknown names of major people who have shaped the world. You’ll find trustworthy snapshot biographies. You don’t need to read an entire biographical book to understand how that person plays into the story.

Access: This resource is available through the University at Albany Libraries. If you are a current student, faculty, or staff member, you can proxy into the server using your UAlbany ID. Otherwise, you can visit one of the library buildings and use a guest computer pass to access the database.