Argument-checken als een methode voor het identificeren van misinformatie

In recent decades, technological developments have led to a massive increase in the amount of information as well as the speed at which it is shared. For forming opinions and making decisions, it is crucial to be able to make a responsible selection from this information. But how do we determine which information is correct and what can be classified as misinformation? And on what basis can we make such judgments?
One way to identify misinformation is through fact-checking. However, its scope is limited: fact-checking only assesses the accuracy of a single factual statement, while such a statement often forms part of a broader argumentative strategy. In addition to its limited scope, fact-checking has also been criticized for its limited effectiveness.
In this article, we present a method that addresses these limitations by considering the argumentative context of factual (and other types of) statements in the analysis. This method, which we call ‘argument-checking’, enables people to examine and assess the quality of information. We first discuss fact-checking and its problems. Then we explain the method of argument-checking and provide an example analysis. Finally, we discuss to what extent argument-checking contributes to solving problems related to identifying misinformation.