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Copyright David Stowell. Used with permission under CC Attribution-ShareAlike License 2.0
Evaluating Information: Web & Beyond
Not all information is created equal—quality can vary greatly. To ensure you’re using reliable information, always verify it against another source and evaluate it critically. One popular evaluation method is the CRAAP test, whose basic criteria is outlined below:
CRAAP Test Evaluation Criteria:
Currency: The timeliness of the information
Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs
Authority: The source of the information
Accuracy: The reliability of the information
Purpose: The reason the information exits
Learn More:
- The CRAAP TestLook at Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose.
- The SIFT MethodStop, Investigate, Find better sources, & Trace Claims
Search Engines
- Google Advanced SearchUse this tool to limit your search results to websites from educational institutions or government agencies. On the Advanced Search page, along with your search terms, enter .edu (education sites) or .gov (government sites) in the box labeled "Search within a site or domain:".
- Google ScholarGoogle Scholar provides a simple way to search for scholarly literature broadly. Link it with our library to combine Google's search power with our access!