Fact Checking - Fact Checking - Public Policy - Research Guides at The Florida State University

Fact Checking Examples

Are the following claims true or false?
Remember: When investigating a claim, take advantage of fact-checking resources like those listed in this guide and try searching for sources, whether they are legal documents, government reports, data sets, etc., likely to contain information that can either substantiate or debunk the claim.

Fact Checking Resources

PolitiFact
A nonpartisan fact-checking website that evaluates the truthfulness of statements made in political speeches, documents, and social media platforms.

Washington Post This link opens in a new window
The Washington Post Fact Checker offers nonpartisan evaluation of claims made by all manner of politicians. You can access this resource via FSU's Washington Post database.
Abbreviation: wp
Vendor: ProQuest
Coverage: 1987–Current
Type: Newspapers and Newswires

FactCheck.org
A nonprofit project from the Annenberg Public Policy Center at UPenn described as a "consumer advocate for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics."

A Balanced Perspective

AllSides
This website offers right-wing, centrist, and left-wing perspectives on trending issues to provide a balanced view of the news.

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
This database combines many of CQ's most well-known government and political titles into a single searchable database. It includes such titles as the Political Handbook of the world, Elections A to Z, the Federal Regulatory Directory and the Washington Information Directory and covers such topics as International Affairs, Congress, Law and the Courts, Elections and Political Behavior, the Presidency and Politics and History.
Tutorials:
Overview (04:03)

Abbreviation: cq
Vendor: Sage Publishing
Coverage: 1923–Current
Subjects: Communication, Political Science, Public Administration and Policy, Public Health
Type: Directories, Government Publications, Reports

Pew Research Center
"Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research."