Website Evaluation

Research CRAAP

Evaluating Web Sites: How to Tell if Information Is Credible?
The best way to access reliable resources is to use online databases like the ones available to you on the REVHS website.
But, if you use the internet, how do you tell good resources from bad resources?


There is so much information on the internet, it can be overwhelming. Using Google to search and using the first things that come up is not the best way to get information because the best information isn't necessarily the first information. Use the guidelines below to help you to evaluate the information that you find when you research.

It's also important to note that you can find true information on non-credible sites. When that occurs, it is best to find that information on a credible site.

The Research CRAAP

Asking the following questions about a site can help you decide if a site is credible or not. At the bottom of this page is a CRAAP Worksheet. Make a copy of that document, then you can keep track of your answers to the questions about a particular site.

  • CURRENCY: The best information is the most recent. How recent are the dates listed on the web site? Are there dates on the page to indicate when the page was written or last revised? Are there any indications that the information is kept current or updated?

  • Relevance: The best information relates directly to your topic. Does this page cover information applicable to your topic? Does this page cover the information in-depth, adequately? If there is a print (e.g., magazine, newspaper, book) equivalent to the Web page, is it clear whether the entire work, or only parts of it are available on the Web site?

  • AUTHORITY: The best information is written by experts. Is it clear who wrote the information? Are the author's qualifications for writing on this topic clearly stated? Is there a link to a page (or area on it) describing the purpose of the sponsoring/publishing organization? Is there a phone number or postal address to contact for more information? (email address not enough).

  • ACCURACY: The best information is correct and can be found in several sources. Are the sources for any factual information clearly listed so they can be verified in another source? Is the information free of grammatical, spelling, and other typographical errors? Is the information accurate, when compared to other sources?

  • Purpose: The best information is not biased. Is there a link to a page (or area on it) describing the purpose of the sponsoring/publishing organization? Is there a phone number or postal address to contact for more information? (email address not enough). Is the information reasonably unbiased? Is the information free of advertising? If there is any advertising on the pages, is it clearly set off from the informational content?
    Remember: If you know your research CRAAP, no one can ever fool you again!
    click below for a site:
    RESEARCH CRAAP WORKSHEET

  • Research CRAAP Worksheet
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/18_ns7r06SrkHLNrjQLm7u8p7cT5wKJJpJQZdTLVlNsA/edit?usp=sharing

  • Practice sites
    Use this site to practice using the CRAAP Worksheet.
    https://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

or

Practice with this site
or
Practice with this site


Another tool for checking credibility of images: The Reverse Image Search.
Click for video explaining how it works.