Is it credible?
Image by Ileana Grimm
Evaluating Sources Worksheet
Reliable? Or Not?
- Fuzzy, Homogenous Configurations (Journal of Computational Intelligence and Electronic Systems)
Documents for Library Session
Popular or Scholarly?
Evaluating Web Content
How do you know whether a web site is reliable? What questions should you ask?
The librarians at California State University - Chico have come up with a handy CRAAP test:
Currency
- When was the information published?
- Does your topic require current sources?
Relevance
- Who is the intended audience?
- How does the information relate to your research question?
Authority
- Who is the author and what are their credentials?
- Are they qualified to write about the topic?
Accuracy
- Is the source peer-reviewed or refereed?
- Are the author’s conclusions supported by evidence?
- Is the information correct? Can you verify the information elsewhere?
Purpose
- Does the source appear objective or is it biased?
- Do the authors make their purpose and motivations clear?
- Do the authors acknowledge potential conflicts of interest?
Need more guidance? Here is an excellent, detailed guide from UC Berkeley Libraries:
