How do I read laterally?

Step Three: Reading about the source

Our results also include this article from The Guardian, a daily British newspaper. It looks like, at the very least, The Heartland Institute might be biased, if not outright false in its claims. We can also tell that The Heartland Institute is financed by Charles Koch, a multimillionaire who funds conservative and libertarian organizations.

The article's title: Research & Commentary: U.S. Transition to 100 Percent Renewable Energy ‘Would Lead to Catastrophe’

Step One: Google The Heartland Institute

Googling The Heartland Institute will allow you to read what others have written about the organization, that way you do not have to rely just on what they are saying about themselves. Notice the difference between The Heartland Institute's About Us page and the Wikipedia entry. Hmm, let's look further.

Step Two: What does Wikipedia say about the organization?

According to Wikipedia, The Heartland Institute is a conservative and libertarian public policy and think tank organization that focuses on "education reform, government spending, taxation, healthcare, tobacco policy, global warming, hydraulic fracturing, information technology, and free-market environmentalism." In the past, they have worked to discredit the risks of secondhand smoke and are climate change deniers.

Step Three: Reading about the source

Our results also include this article from The Guardian, a daily British newspaper. It looks like, at the very least, The Heartland Institute might be biased, if not outright false in its claims. We can also tell that The Heartland Institute is financed by Charles Koch, a multimillionaire who funds conservative and libertarian organizations.