Evaluate Sources
Learn how to critically evaluate sources including websites, articles, databases, books, and more.
CRAAP Test
You have many places to find information, but how do you know that the information you find is high quality? The CRAAP test is a simple way to evaluate information, and was developed by the Meriam Library at California State University, Chico. Use the CRAAP test to assess any website, article, or piece of information that you might want to use.
Currency: When the information was published
Relevance: How well the information fits your need
Authority: The expertise or qualifications of the creator(s) of the information
Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content
Purpose: The information exists for a reason, whether to inform, pursuade, or sell
Watch the video on the right for a quick overview of the CRAAP test.
What about websites?
Information you find on the Internet needs to be carefully evaluated, because anyone can create a website, blog, or wiki. Pay attention to the domain (.com, .edu, .gov), when the site was last updated, and whether it is full of broken links and spelling mistakes. Shapiro Library at Southern New Hampshire University goes into greater detail about what to look out for when evaluating websites.
how do i read scholarly articles?
See the video from McMaster Library for tips on the best way to read a scholarly article. A good general approach includes:
Highlighting
Defining unfamiliar words
Looking for connections with other sources
Use this note taking template.
What does a scholarly article look like?
Explore Anatomy of a Scholarly Article from North Carolina State University, which shows the different parts of a scholarly source and the purpose of each.
Title: often long and specific, may describe research
Authors: often more than one, degrees listed
Audience: specialized vocabulary used
Abstract: a short summary of the article on the first page
Research: description of methodology used
References: listed at the back of the article
Images: graphs and charts, photos are rare
scholarly or peer reviewed?
All peer-reviewed articles are scholarly, but not all scholarly articles are peer-reviewed. Scholarly articles share common traits:
A scholarly source presents the findings of a study, research, or experimentation
Written by experts in the field for other experts, uses specialized vocabulary
Considered more reliable because the results are based on research, rather than opinion
Images are more likely to be charts and graphs than photographs.
Peer Reviewed Sources
Peer-reviewed articles have all of the above traits, in addition to going through the peer-review process. In this process, the article is evaluated by other experts in the field for accuracy before publication.