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Evaluating Sources/CRAAP Test: Introduction

Why Evaluate?

 

Identifying and using quality information sources will allow you to better understand your topic and will add credibility to your analyses and conclusions.

Ever feel like you're drowning in information? In our information-rich age, we have a wealth of information available to us from a variety of sources. Critically evaluating information allows us to select the most useful sources--ones that are relevant and credible.

Research Purpose

Your evaluation of the source will depend on the purpose for which you are using the information.  When researching for a school project or looking for information to guide an important decision, you need to carefully scrutinize information sources.  You also want to compare sources and draw on your own knowledge in your analysis of the topic.

Guide Objectives

Users of this guide will be able to:

  • use information about source types to help you evaulate
  • apply the criteria of Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose to evaluate sources

CRAAP Test