{"id":669,"date":"2025-06-25T13:54:56","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T20:54:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/?p=669"},"modified":"2025-06-25T15:42:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T22:42:59","slug":"fact-vs-fiction-helping-you-sift-through-online-information","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/2025\/06\/25\/fact-vs-fiction-helping-you-sift-through-online-information\/","title":{"rendered":"Fact vs. Fiction: Helping you sift through online information"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><u>Le fran\u00e7ais suit \/ French follows<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Written by Trinity Lowthian and Dawn Richards<\/p>\n<p>With all the information that\u2019s available on social media or generally on the internet, it can be difficult to know what is trustworthy or credible content and what is simply trying to get you to \u2018click\u2019 or to buy something. It\u2019s good to question information and where it comes from.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you are finding that separating facts from fiction is not as clear as it used to be, you\u2019re not alone. In 2023, Statistics Canada found that 43% of Canadians said it was becoming more difficult than it was just 3 years earlier to tell the difference between true and false information (<a href=\"https:\/\/www150.statcan.gc.ca\/n1\/daily-quotidien\/231220\/dq231220b-eng.htm\">https:\/\/www150.statcan.gc.ca\/n1\/daily-quotidien\/231220\/dq231220b-eng.htm<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Here we give some guidance to help you decide what information you should view as evidence-based or credible, and what might give you cause for a little more skepticism.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Below we\u2019ve created some criteria to distinguish between \u2018red flags\u2019 and \u2018green flags\u2019 when sorting through information online that you are reading, watching or listening to. If the content you are reading, watching, or listening to is aligning with statements in the red flag column, this should be taken as potential cause for concern and we suggest that you question the motivation of who\u2019s sharing the information, their credentials, and what they\u2019re presenting to you or even selling you. If the content and source of information is aligning with statements in the green flag column, this may point towards evidence or information being more credible.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Green Flags<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The information shared is from a scientific article or a number of scientific articles and other independent sources of information. A scientific article may report on research that a team has done and is often peer-reviewed by experts in the field before it is published.<\/li>\n<li>The sources or references used to write the article or blog are shared, and include scientific references or multiple references.\u00a0 The sources cited should be easy to find, clear, and meet \u2018green flag\u2019 criteria.<\/li>\n<li>The person writing, sharing or posting the information has expertise or qualifications in the topic they\u2019re presenting or writing about. If you do a quick search on them or click on their biography they have an education or healthcare experience or other lived experiences related to the topic. Note that patients or individuals with lived experiences may also have expertise about topics, in addition to academics or healthcare professionals.<\/li>\n<li>Although the person posting the information calls themself an influencer, they indicate that their sources or references are from academic or research-based institutions.<\/li>\n<li>The person sharing or posting the information is associated with an academic or research-based organization or has a position in an academic or credible not for profit organization.<\/li>\n<li>The person posting the information declares or is upfront about potential conflicts of interest. For example, a researcher or clinician may share that they have been paid consulting fees by an organization. (Note:\u00a0 This is distinct from language such as \u2018paid promotion\u2019 or \u2018paid partnership\u2019 may be seen as more of a red flag.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Red Flags<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The information is presented in what seems to be an unbalanced way. For example, the language used to share the benefits is overly positive, while the language used to describe the risks is downplayed or risks are not even mentioned at all.<\/li>\n<li>The content is about a treatment for people, but the evidence cited is only from animals or cell lines. Or maybe the treatment is on the market for use in people, but the evidence or data cited is from a clinical research study with a few people only.<\/li>\n<li>The language used in the content feels \u2018glossy\u2019 or \u2018slick\u2019 \u2013 like it&#8217;s a marketing or public relations ad. This includes the use of vague or grandiose terms.<\/li>\n<li>The person sharing the information calls themself an \u2018influencer\u2019 and doesn\u2019t share their sources\/references or shares sources that don\u2019t seem to be from academic or research-based institutions.<\/li>\n<li>The person posting the information is making money from sharing it. For example, the post may be labeled as a \u2018paid promotion\u2019 or \u2018paid partnership\u2019 or \u2018ad\u2019, or it is posted on a platform where views translate to money.<\/li>\n<li>The post or person sharing the information is trying to get you to buy something.<\/li>\n<li>You need to provide personal or payment information to download the information. Or perhaps you are directly being asked for payment to learn more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-672 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/files\/2025\/06\/Trustworthy-Blog-Image-1-300x192.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"406\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/files\/2025\/06\/Trustworthy-Blog-Image-1-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/files\/2025\/06\/Trustworthy-Blog-Image-1-1024x655.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/files\/2025\/06\/Trustworthy-Blog-Image-1-768x492.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/files\/2025\/06\/Trustworthy-Blog-Image-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 406px) 100vw, 406px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><u><a href=\"https:\/\/pxphub.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Trustworthy-Blog-Image-1.pdf\">Fact vs. Fiction<\/a> <\/u><\/em><\/p>\n<p>While we can\u2019t directly tell you what is credible and what is not credible information, using the questions above can help you make that decision for yourself. The questions above are meant to help give you some confidence in making that decision and in sifting through sources of information. Taking a pause and questioning information are key tools that can help you navigate information. It might take you a while to get comfortable with questioning information \u2013 but that\u2019s a good thing!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>R\u00e9alit\u00e9 ou fiction\u00a0: conseils pour passer au crible les renseignements en ligne<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Avec tous les renseignements qui se trouvent dans les m\u00e9dias sociaux ou, plus g\u00e9n\u00e9ralement, dans Internet, il peut \u00eatre difficile de distinguer ceux qui sont dignes de confiance de ceux qui visent uniquement \u00e0 vous inciter \u00e0 \u00ab\u2009cliquer\u2009\u00bb ou \u00e0 acheter quelque chose. Il est donc bon de s\u2019interroger sur la fiabilit\u00e9 de l\u2019information publi\u00e9e en ligne et son origine.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Si vous trouvez qu\u2019il n\u2019est plus aussi \u00e9vident qu\u2019auparavant de distinguer la r\u00e9alit\u00e9 de la fiction, vous n\u2019\u00eates pas seul. En\u00a02023, Statistique Canada a constat\u00e9 que 43\u00a0% des Canadiens \u00e9taient d\u2019avis qu\u2019il devenait plus difficile de faire la distinction entre les vrais et les faux renseignements en ligne comparativement \u00e0 seulement trois ans plus t\u00f4t. (Source\u00a0: <a href=\"https:\/\/www150.statcan.gc.ca\/n1\/daily-quotidien\/231220\/dq231220b-fra.htm\">https:\/\/www150.statcan.gc.ca\/n1\/daily-quotidien\/231220\/dq231220b-fra.htm<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Voici donc des conseils pour vous aider \u00e0 rep\u00e9rer les renseignements cr\u00e9dibles ou factuels de ceux qui devraient susciter un peu de scepticisme.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Vous trouverez ci-dessous quelques crit\u00e8res correspondant \u00e0 des \u00ab\u2009signaux d\u2019alarme\u2009\u00bb ou \u00e0 des \u00ab\u2009signaux rassurants\u2009\u00bb au sujet de l\u2019information que vous lisez, regardez et \u00e9coutez en ligne. Si le contenu que vous lisez, regardez ou \u00e9coutez correspond \u00e0 des descriptions figurant dans la colonne des \u00ab\u2009signaux d\u2019alarme\u2009\u00bb, vous devriez vous m\u00e9fier et vous interroger \u00e0 propos des motivations des personnes qui publient ces renseignements, de leurs titres de comp\u00e9tences et de ce qu\u2019elles vous pr\u00e9sentent ou essaient de vous vendre. Si le contenu et la source de l\u2019information correspondent aux descriptions se trouvant dans la colonne des \u00ab\u2009signaux rassurants\u2009\u00bb, cela peut donner \u00e0 penser que les donn\u00e9es ou les renseignements sont plus cr\u00e9dibles.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Signaux rassurants:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Les renseignements publi\u00e9s sont tir\u00e9s d\u2019un ou de plusieurs articles scientifiques ou proviennent d\u2019autres sources ind\u00e9pendantes. Un article scientifique peut faire \u00e9tat de travaux men\u00e9s par une \u00e9quipe de recherche et fait souvent l\u2019objet d\u2019une \u00e9valuation par les pairs du domaine dont il est question avant sa publication.<\/li>\n<li>Les sources ou r\u00e9f\u00e9rences sur lesquelles s\u2019appuie l\u2019article ou le blogue sont pr\u00e9cis\u00e9es et renvoient \u00e0 de multiples ouvrages scientifiques. Les sources cit\u00e9es sont faciles \u00e0 trouver, claires et r\u00e9pondent aux crit\u00e8res des \u00ab\u2009signaux rassurants\u2009\u00bb.<\/li>\n<li>La personne qui a r\u00e9dig\u00e9, communiqu\u00e9 ou publi\u00e9 l\u2019information poss\u00e8de une expertise ou des comp\u00e9tences dans le domaine en question. Une recherche rapide sur cette personne vous permet de constater qu\u2019elle poss\u00e8de une formation, une exp\u00e9rience dans le domaine de la sant\u00e9 ou une exp\u00e9rience concr\u00e8te du sujet trait\u00e9. \u00c0 noter que tout comme les universitaires ou les professionnels de la sant\u00e9, les patients ou les personnes ayant une exp\u00e9rience concr\u00e8te peuvent poss\u00e9der une expertise dans un domaine.<\/li>\n<li>Bien que la personne qui publie l\u2019information se qualifie elle-m\u00eame d\u2019influenceur, les sources ou r\u00e9f\u00e9rences qu\u2019elle mentionne proviennent d\u2019\u00e9tablissements universitaires ou de recherche.<\/li>\n<li>La personne qui communique ou publie l\u2019information est associ\u00e9e \u00e0 un \u00e9tablissement universitaire ou de recherche, ou occupe un poste dans un \u00e9tablissement universitaire ou un organisme \u00e0 but non lucratif reconnu.<\/li>\n<li>La personne qui publie l\u2019information d\u00e9clare d\u2019embl\u00e9e ses possibles conflits d\u2019int\u00e9r\u00eats. Par exemple, un chercheur ou un clinicien peut pr\u00e9ciser qu\u2019il a touch\u00e9 des honoraires d\u2019un organisme \u00e0 titre d\u2019expert. (Remarque\u00a0: Cette d\u00e9claration diff\u00e8re des mentions \u00ab\u2009promotion r\u00e9mun\u00e9r\u00e9e\u2009\u00bb ou \u00ab\u2009partenariat r\u00e9mun\u00e9r\u00e9\u2009\u00bb, qui correspondent \u00e0 un \u00ab\u2009signal d\u2019alarme\u2009\u00bb.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Signaux d\u2019alarme<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Les renseignements sont pr\u00e9sent\u00e9s de mani\u00e8re biais\u00e9e. Par exemple, les formulations employ\u00e9es pour pr\u00e9senter les avantages sont excessivement positives, tandis que les risques sont minimis\u00e9s ou ne sont pas du tout mentionn\u00e9s.<\/li>\n<li>Le contenu de la publication porte sur un traitement destin\u00e9 aux humains, mais les donn\u00e9es \u00e0 l\u2019appui ne portent que sur des animaux ou des lign\u00e9es cellulaires; ou bien encore, le traitement est commercialis\u00e9 pour \u00eatre utilis\u00e9 chez l\u2019humain, mais les donn\u00e9es \u00e0 l\u2019appui sont tir\u00e9es d\u2019une \u00e9tude clinique sur quelques personnes seulement.<\/li>\n<li>Les formulations employ\u00e9es sont tape-\u00e0-l\u2019\u0153il ou racoleuses, comme s\u2019il s\u2019agissait d\u2019une publicit\u00e9. Des termes vagues ou des superlatifs sont parfois employ\u00e9s.<\/li>\n<li>La personne qui publie l\u2019information se qualifie d\u2019\u00ab\u2009influenceur\u2009\u00bb et ne pr\u00e9cise pas ses sources, ou bien ces derni\u00e8res ne semblent pas provenir d\u2019\u00e9tablissements universitaires ou de recherche.<\/li>\n<li>La personne qui publie l\u2019information en tire des revenus. Par exemple, la publication peut contenir les mentions \u00ab\u2009promotion r\u00e9mun\u00e9r\u00e9e\u2009\u00bb, \u00ab\u2009partenariat r\u00e9mun\u00e9r\u00e9\u2009\u00bb ou \u00ab\u2009publicit\u00e9\u2009\u00bb, ou \u00eatre affich\u00e9e sur une plateforme o\u00f9 le nombre de vues produit des revenus.<\/li>\n<li>La personne qui publie l\u2019information semble vouloir vous convaincre d\u2019acheter quelque chose.<\/li>\n<li>On vous demande de fournir des renseignements personnels ou relatifs \u00e0 un paiement pour t\u00e9l\u00e9charger l\u2019information. On peut \u00e9galement vous demander directement de payer pour en apprendre davantage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-673 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/files\/2025\/06\/Trustworthy-Blog-Image-1-FR-300x192.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"434\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/files\/2025\/06\/Trustworthy-Blog-Image-1-FR-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/files\/2025\/06\/Trustworthy-Blog-Image-1-FR-1024x655.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/files\/2025\/06\/Trustworthy-Blog-Image-1-FR-768x492.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/files\/2025\/06\/Trustworthy-Blog-Image-1-FR.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 434px) 100vw, 434px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pxphub.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Trustworthy-Blog-Image-1-FR.pdf\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">R\u00e9alit\u00e9 ou fiction<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Bien que nous ne puissions pas vous dire pr\u00e9cis\u00e9ment quels renseignements sont cr\u00e9dibles ou non cr\u00e9dibles, les descriptions ci-dessus vous aideront \u00e0 exercer votre jugement quant \u00e0 l\u2019information publi\u00e9e en ligne. Prendre le temps de remettre en question la fiabilit\u00e9 des renseignements publi\u00e9s en ligne peut r\u00e9ellement vous aider \u00e0 en \u00e9valuer la qualit\u00e9. Il vous faudra peut-\u00eatre une p\u00e9riode d\u2019adaptation, mais le jeu en vaut la chandelle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Le fran\u00e7ais suit \/ French follows Written by Trinity Lowthian and Dawn Richards With all the information that\u2019s available on social media or generally on the internet, it can be difficult to know what is trustworthy or credible content and &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/2025\/06\/25\/fact-vs-fiction-helping-you-sift-through-online-information\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105184,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-patient-engagement"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/105184"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=669"}],"version-history":[{"count":43,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":726,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669\/revisions\/726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/imhablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}