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Evaluating Sources

A guide on evaluating sources for credibility.

The CRAAP Test

The CRAAP Test is a common approach to evaluating information. This is an easy acronym to help you remember what to look for when evaluating a possible source of information. It can be applied to any type of information source: articles, websites, books, podcasts, etc.

  • Currency: When?
    • When was the information published?
    • Have there been any recent updates or developments to the topic that may impact the accuracy of the information?
    • Is current information needed for your topic or assignment? 
  • Relevance: How?
    • What is your purpose in seeking this information?
    • Does the information relate to your topic? 
    • Who is the intended audience of the information?  
  • Authority: Where?
    • Who is the author? 
    • Who is the publisher or sponsor? Is this information easy to locate?
    • Are they qualified to write on this topic?
    • What credentials are available? 
  • Accuracy: What?
    • Is the information reliable, truthful, and correct? Consider the source. Is evidence available to support the information?
    • Has the information been peer-reviewed?
    • Can information be verified by other sources? 
  • Purpose: Why?
    • What is the purpose of the information?
    • Is the information intended to inform, educate, persuade, entertain, or sell?
    • Is the purpose made clear? Is the information fact, opinion, or something else?
    • Does it appear objective?
    • What biases may be present? 

Additional Considerations

The more questions you are able to answer with confidence, the more likely it is a credible source. For example, if it is difficult to find a publication date or author, this may be a less credible piece of information.

Consider, if an author is qualified to speak on a subject, they would likely make this information easily available to readers. They may provide their background to show their authority on the subject. If it is unclear who the author is, or why they are qualified to speak on the subject, the information may not be so trustworthy.

These areas can also overlap. For example, the purpose of the information can give us clues to the accuracy. If something is written to sell a product, this can impact the accuracy of claims. Similarly, if we notice some potential biases in a source, we might want to verify the accuracy of claims.