Research 101: Evaluating Sources

The First Letter "C" stands for CURRENCY. 

This is the timeliness of the information. Meaning, how old or new the information in the source is. Look at your assignment instructions or ask your professor about how current your sources should be. Sometimes, you may be able to use older sources, but most of the time you will asked to find sources that have been published within the last five, ten, or even fifteen years. It depends upon your topic and your assignment instructions. So, you will need to look at publication dates to determine how old or new your source is.

How can you determine that?

Well, "ask" your source the following questions and if your source answers them in a satisfactory manner, then it could be a credible source:

• When was the information posted, published, produced?
• If relevant, when was the information gathered?
• Has any of the information been revised or updated?
• When was it last edited?
• Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well?
• For web sources: Are the links functional?

The Second Letter "R" stands for RELEVANCE.

This is the importance of the information for your specific needs. Or rather how close the information is to your topic or subject. This can also pertain to the uniqueness of the information and how relevant that information is for your assignment or topic.

Consider the following questions when determining the relevance of your source:

• Does the information relate to your topic or answer your research question?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Is the information at an appropriate level (not too elementary or too advanced for what you need)?
• Have you looked at a variety of other sources before determining if this is the one you will use?
• Would you be comfortable citing this source in you assignment?
• How well does the source fit you information need?
• Does the source provide information that is useful to answering your research question?
• Does the source support the point of view that you need? Does it support you own point of view, if necessary?
• Is the information unique?
• Where is the information available? Print? Digital? Or both?

The Third Letter and first "A" stands for AUTHORITY. 

This part can help to uncover the source of the information; which means you will need to attempt to determine if the author/ editor/ producer/ etc. are credible creators of the information. Knowing who wrote the information can be crucial to determining the credibility of a source. 

Think about it this way...which would you trust more? An article written by a well known scholar at a University that has worked on a study for years within a specific field OR an article written by some unknown blogger about the same study? Which one would you be more confident in having provided the right information?

Ask your source these questions to determine the credibility of the source's author or creator:

• Who is the author/ publisher/ source/ sponsor/ editor?
• What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations? (MD, PhD, RN, etc...)
• Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
• Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address?
• For a web source: Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source? (ex. .com, .edu, .gov, .org, .net)
• Is the author a teacher or a student of the topic?
• What kind of reputation does the author have, if it is someone you recognize? 
• What formats has the author published work in? Print? Digital? Journals? Books? Blogs

The Fourth Letter and the second "A" stands for ACCURACY.

This is the reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the source's content. In other words, are you able to determine how accurate the information is in regards to your topic? This could be represented by a works cited page or bibliography. It could also be where the information was found or posted or even factual data provided by the source. Sometimes, you can also determine the accuracy of a source by how believable it is, but this doesn't always work and you may need to analyze the information further.

Try asking your source these questions to figure out how accurate the information is:

• Where does the information comes from?
• Is the information supported by evidence?
• Has the information been reviewed or refereed? 
• Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
• Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion?
• Are there spelling, grammar, or typographical errors?
• Are there any other sources listed for the information? 
• Can you verify any of the information or independent sources?
• How reliable or truthful is the content?
• How does the language sound or read? Does it seemed biased? Neutral? Knowledgeable?

The Fifth Letter "P" stands for PURPOSE.

This determines the reason the information exists. Or rather, why would the source be created in the first place. This will help you to determine if there is any biases or prejudice in the source or if it a more neutral source. It can also help determine why the information is there? Such as if it is to inform, persuade, entertain, or to sell something. Information is usually created for one reason or another, and sometimes for multiple purposes.

Refer to these questions to help you determine the purpose of your source:

• What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain, or persuade?
• Do the authors/ sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
• Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda?
• Does the point of view appear objective  and impartial?
• Are there political,  ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?
• At a quick glance, why does the information exist?
• Can you tell who the intended audience is? General public, professionals, researchers, students, a particular demographic or group?
• Are there any noticeable biases?
• Can you tell the type of information from the website domain? (.com, .net, .edu,. gov, .org?)

By using the C.R.A.A.P. Test, you can be sure that your sources are credible and meet the requirements of your assignments or information needs.