A screenshot about a Sengkang event, school activity or transport change can look convincing before you know where it came from. Pause long enough to find the original source and check whether it still applies.
NLB’s S.U.R.E. framework stands for Source, Understand, Research and Evaluate. It gives students a simple way to examine information rather than accepting a claim because it has been forwarded many times.
Try the steps on one everyday message together. The aim is not to distrust everything; it is to know what the evidence supports and what still needs checking.
Choose your reading route
Source: find where the claim began · Understand: say exactly what is claimed · Research: check beyond the forwarded copy · Evaluate: decide what you can responsibly say
Source: find where the claim began
Look for the original publisher, not just the person who forwarded the message. Open the original page where possible and check its date and context.
For a claim about a local service, look for the relevant operator’s own notice. A cropped image may omit the location, conditions or period that makes the announcement meaningful.
Ask whether you can trace the statement to a source responsible for the subject. A familiar logo inside a picture is not, by itself, proof that the picture came from that organisation.
Understand: say exactly what is claimed
Rewrite the message as one clear sentence. Identify the place, date, people affected and any condition attached to it.
Separate a report of something that happened from a prediction, opinion or proposal. “A change is planned” and “the change is in operation” are different claims.
For a student exercise, underline the words that limit the claim. A notice that applies to one session or facility should not become a statement about every session or the whole neighbourhood.
Research: check beyond the forwarded copy
NLB’s research guidance encourages comparing sources rather than stopping at the first one. Find additional relevant information and see whether it addresses the same claim.
Several webpages repeating one announcement are not necessarily independent confirmation. Look for where each page obtained the information and whether any newer notice changes it.
For a current Sengkang outing, check the original operator’s present information before making the journey. For historical research, use dated records and avoid applying an old arrangement to today.
Evaluate: decide what you can responsibly say
Weigh the evidence, not just the number of links. A well-supported conclusion can be narrow: the notice confirms a particular arrangement for a specified date, while another detail remains unclear.
If you cannot verify a claim, say that it is unverified rather than announcing that it is false. Avoid forwarding it as settled information while the important facts remain missing.
Finish the exercise with three notes: the claim, the strongest source and your conclusion. Our OneSearch research guide offers a next step when the question needs a deeper search.
Official sources and current checks
Information checked on 14 October 2026. Follow current official access instructions and service information.
