Vetting Your Sources
The CRAP method for assessing credibility.
Currency - Is the information current? Is it updated regularly?
Reliability - Is the source reputable? Is it accurate?
Authority - Who created the information? Why?
Purpose/Point of View - Is there a balance of perspectives? Is the information biased?
Source: http://researchguides.library.vanderbilt.edu/c.php?g=68930&p=445413
Currency- If the source is 25 years old, and the topic is only 26 years old...you might want to look for something much more current. A book about treating illness that was written in 1954 is not going to be very accurate.
Reliable- Something the comes from a .com should be checked and rechecked. The group that is giving the information may or may not be giving accurate, well researched info. For example: If I am doing a speech on women's rights and the 19h Amendment, I probably don't want to use Eddie's Amendments Page that some guy made as a class project in 8th grade.
I would probably want something more along the lines of of archives.gov, or potentially history.com (the History Channel's website).
Authority- Ask (in a very stately voice) "On what authority did you create this?" You likely won't actually be able to ask someone that, but you can usually wade through the crud to figure why they produced the information. Do they have an agenda? Are the protecting someone? Smearing someone? Is it for a class, a library, general readership? Is this propoganda?
Purpose/Point of View- Again, who is this and what's their agenda? Are they trying to make someone look good? Do they usually report just Conservative or just Liberal ideas?
Remember, just because one source confirms your feelings, doesn't mean that you can stop researching the topic. Check other sources, including those that might disagree. This will also help you find your point-counter point information.
