So you have chosen your research topic, and used the library, web, and online databases to gather your materials. But...are the sources objective? Accurate? Authoritative?
While you can find information on almost any topic, the downside is that many sources may not be the most credible. Because your instructors expect you to base your projects on reliable information, it is important to be knowledgeable about how to determine if a source is credible or not.
When you search the Web, you’re going to find a lot of information . . . but is it accurate and reliable? You will have to determine this for yourself, and the CRAAP Test can help. The CRAAP Test is a list of questions you can ask yourself in order to determine if the information on a web site is reliable
CRAAP is an acronym for:
Currency - Is the material current? Does it contain outdated or disproven information? Is the site maintained regularly?
Relevance - Is the material relevant to your question?
Author - Who wrote the content? What are the author's qualifications? Is there a way to contact the author?
Accuracy - How accurate is the information? What evidence does the author use? Does the author cite sources?
Purpose - What is the purpose of the content? Is the content objective or biased?
Scholarly (peer-reviewed) resources undergo review by experts in a field of study, who determine that the article is objective and credible before they are published. Examples of peer-reviewed resources include articles in scientific journals, encyclopedias, and textbooks
Non-scholarly resources are published without review by experts. Non-scholarly resources range from a variety of types, such as websites and magazines, to newspapers, and books.
* If you plan to use non-scholarly materials, ask your instructor beforehand, and use the CRAAP test to guide your judgement in using these resources.
Savannah State University 2200 Tompkins Rd Savannah, GA 31404 Phone: (912) 358-4324 Reference Text Line: (912) 226-2479