What makes an explanation worth examining?

Follow an explanation back to its sources, assumptions and uncertainties.

Start with a useful question

Follow an explanation back to its sources, assumptions and uncertainties. Identify who published the material and why. A description of one organisation or setting does not automatically describe every other one.

Related reading: What questions help us understand a workplace? · A wider reading of the economy

Read the context

Notice the date, location and scope of the source. Separate observation from interpretation, check the original material where available and look for important information that the headline leaves out.

Keep exploring

Compare relevant perspectives without assuming they carry equal evidence. Keep uncertainties visible and use the linked reading as a starting point for further exploration, not as a substitute for checking a specific claim.