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Source Evaluation

_The quality of your final research project is related to the quality of the sources you use. As one professor put it, “garbage in, garbage out.” Applying the C.R.A.P. Test is one way to evaluate the quality and value of a source (book, article, website, etc.) before you start writing. Ask yourself these questions to determine if the source is one you should use….

Currency
  • How recent is the information?
  • Can you locate a date when the resource was written/created/updated?
  • Based on your topic, is this current enough?
  • Why might the date matter for your topic?
Reliability
  • What kind of information is included in the resource?
  • Is the content primarily opinion?
  • Is the information balanced or biased?
  • Does the author provide citations & references for quotations & data?
Authority
  • Can you determine who the author/creator is?
  • What are their credentials (education, affiliation, experience, etc.)?
  • Who is the publisher or sponsor of the work/site?
  • Is this publisher/sponsor reputable?

Accuracy
  • Where does the information come from?
  • Is the information supported by evidence?
  • Has the information been reviewed?
  • Can you verify the information from another source?
  • Does the language or tone seem bias or free of emotion?
  • Are there spelling, grammar, or other errors?

Purpose / Point of View
  • What’s the intent of the article (to persuade you, to sell something, etc.)?
  • For Web resources, what is the domain (.edu, .com, etc.)? How might that influence the purpose/point of view?
  • Are there ads on the Web site or in the resource? How do they relate to the topic being covered (e.g., an ad for ammunition next to an article about firearm legislation) ?
  • Is the author presenting fact or opinion?
Based on the original CRAAP TEST created by Librarian Molly Beestrum, Dominican University
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  • Home Page
  • Scheduling
  • Policies
    • Library Usage
    • Library Computers
    • Seating Charts/Rules
    • Library Fines
    • Lunch Passes
    • Playaways
  • Finding A Book
    • Book Lists >
      • Advanced Readers
      • Beehive Award Nominees
      • 2019 BEEHIVE AWARD NOMINEES
      • Best Books Ever
      • Breaking the Chains
      • Caldecott Winners
      • Classics
      • Historical Fiction
      • Interesting Non-Fiction
      • Mysterious Adventures
      • Newbery Awards
      • Reading the Renaissance
      • Which Witch is Which?
    • Books Just In >
      • New Books 2018-2019
    • Beehive Award >
      • Born of Illusion
      • The Caged Graves
      • Cardboard
      • Guitar Notes
      • Insomnia
      • My Family For The War
      • The Name of the Star
      • Ship Out of Luck
      • Skinny
      • Slated
      • The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
      • The Testing
    • Book Reviews >
      • Newbery >
        • The Graveyard Book
        • Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!
        • The Higher Power of Lucky
        • Criss Cross
        • Kira-Kira
        • The Tale of Despereaux
        • Crispin: The Cross of Lead
        • A Single Shard
        • A Year Down Yonder
        • Bud, Not Buddy
        • Holes
        • Out of the Dust
    • Finding A Book >
      • The Catalog Computer
      • Non-Fiction Books
      • Biography
      • Fiction Books
  • Research Basics
    • Pioneer Library
    • The Big Six
    • Source Evaluation
    • Internet Sites
  • YouTube Video Form
  • Location/Maps
    • Library Location
    • Library Map
  • eBooks