CARDS - Use this acronym technique to determine the usefulness and credibility of a resource.
Currency - Is the resource recent enough to be useful?
Accuracy - Is the information correct and can be found in other resources as well?
Relevance - Is information in the resource closely related to your actual topic?
Depth - Is the text readable and understandable to you? (Try the Five Finger Method)
Source - Is the creator of the resource an expert or someone trustworthy in the topic?
Click here for a print out to help in using the CARDS test:Â CARDS - Resource Evaluation .