CRAAP is a (memorable!) acronym for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose.
Give your potential sources the CRAAP Test to evaluate if they're worthy--or you know what.
Currency: the timeliness of the information
- When was the information published or posted?
- Has the information been revised or updated?
- Is the information current or out-of date for your topic?
Relevance: the information's importance for your needs and its appropriateness for a research paper
- Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
- Who is the intended audience? (Academic, popular?)
- Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary for your needs)?
- Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
- Would you be comfortable relying on this source?
Authority: the source of the information
- Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
- Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
- What are the author's affiliations? What groups does the author belong to?
- What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
- Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
- If a website, does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?
- examples:
- .com (commercial), .edu (educational), .gov (U.S. government)
- .org (nonprofit organization), or
- .net (network)
Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content
- Where does the information come from?
- Is the information supported by evidence?
- Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
- Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
- Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
- Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?
Purpose: the reason the information exists
- What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
- Do the authors make their intentions or purpose clear?
- Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?
- Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
- Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?