Social media image of astronaut on the moon holding a golf club up to a golf ball, next to an American flag. The post reads, "Why do images of U.S. astronauts cavorting on the moon look like they were shot on a Hollywood soundstage? Where are the stars in the background? What's with the unnatural lighting and shadows? I'm a professional scientist who's done the research, and I'm here to teach you why everything you know about the moon landings are wrong. I'll explain why the videos are part of a half-century cover-up, reaching the highest levels of government—and why they've been perpetuated for decades. Follow the link in my bio for more.

Profile picture: A professional-looking photo and fancy-sounding credentials don’t mean the person is trustworthy. McGrew teaches students to do a separate search to learn more about the information source. In this case, you might find that the poster doesn’t have the job they claim by cross-referencing a company’s personnel page—but does have a history of peddling conspiracy theories about government coverups. 

Likes and shares: Think a post must be true because thousands of people have engaged with it, or because lots of comments agree with the content? People can say whatever they want to on social media, hiding behind anonymity or false identities. Always look for alternative credible sources to check if they are making the same claims.

URL and headline: Gone are the days when a .org or .edu domain indicated that the source was a registered nonprofit or education institution always posting credible information. Defying typical teaching, McGrew recommends using Wikipedia to learn more about a person or organization. “It can be a great starting point for research.” Once you follow a link, don’t rely on repeated exclamation points, all-caps or even spelling or grammar mistakes to indicate a sketchy article. Misinformation can be more insidious, as neutrally worded pieces blend in with regular stories. Instead, verify information with a site like PolitiFact or Factcheck.org, helmed by professional journalists.