Research

When creating and finding a solution to your problem, you must conduct a lot of research. Here, we will guide you through the process of finding credible sources, and will also recommend some resources for research.

The CRAAP Test

Before we talk about the CRAAP Test, let us first talk about credible sources. Credible sources are sources that give unbiased, accurate, and recent information. These sources are the best for gathering facts on a topic, or aspects of a problem. Google is not a source. You need specific things like a person, book, or website.

One common way to identify credible sources is to use the CRAAP Test. The acronym stands for:

• Currency - When was the article written?

• Relevance - How relevant is it to your topic of research?

• Accuracy - How accurate is the source?

• Authority - What are the author's/organization's qualifications?

• Purpose - What is the purpose of the source?

Some web sources we recommend are:

• NPR News

• Associated Press

• Reuters

• C-SPAN

• The Wall Street Journal

• New York Times

• Washington Post

• The Hill

• USA Today

In addition to using web sources for your research, we strongly suggest that you get in contact and meet with a local expert or professional in a field related to that of your problem. This will increase your credibility, as this tells the judges that this project was reviewed by an expert knowledgeable in a field related to your problem or your solution.

Always remember to use multiple sources when conducting research on you specific problem!