Lateral Reading is a technique used by fact checkers that can be applied to your own evaluation of online resources. This is particularly important when evaluating web based resources on sites that you may not be familiar with.
Many web sites look professional and credible, but may be hiding their true agenda. Instead of digging deeper into the site think about a different approach. Investigate what others are saying about the site, its authors or organisations.
In essence, lateral reading, is about reading beyond the web site you are on, opening multiple tabs in your browser and following connections and links telling you more about the site. This allows you to make a more informed judgement.
Michael Caulfield has written an Open Access book on Web literacy for student fact-checkers. You can find it and more resources on lateral reading from the links below.