Evaluating Information Tutorial

Objectives:
In this tutorial you will learn:

 Why you should evaluate your information sources

 How the CRAAP Test can help you remember what to look for
 5 simple criteria you can use to evaluate any source

Why evaluate?
Why you should evaluate your information sources-

 Information Overload
We are constantly bombarded with information
Email, Radio, TV, Social Media, the Internet, Friends, School Readings,
Professors

 Filtering Information
One of the most important things that we can learn to do for schoolwork
and life is to filter for the best information – in other words, reliable
information.
But how do you determine if a source is reliable?

The CRAAP Test

Luckily, some lovely librarians at CSU (California State University)
Chico created The CRAAP Test to help you determine whether
information is… well… CRAP or not!

The CRAAP Test

Introducing CRAAP
CRAAP is an acronym that stands for…
 C = Currency
 R = Relevance
 A = Authority
  A = Accuracy
 P = Purpose

Why we need the CRAAP test-

Anyone can post on the Internet!
 Your brother
 The guy at the bus stop
 Politicians
 13 year-olds

Why you should evaluate the CRAAP out of your sources?

The CRAAP test is an effective way to evaluate all types of information,
but it is especially important to evaluate information that you find on the
Internet. Here is an explanation of what each letter means:

Currency
How current is the information?

If these cars were sources, which would you use?

 Old and Abandoned Car – This source was perfectly appropriate
once upon a time. But now it’s so old it no longer runs. It’s rusty
and abandoned and totally out of date. Don’t use old, outdated
information. Find something that still runs.
 Classic and Well Maintained Car – This source may have been
written many years ago, but it’s still considered to be a core work
on the subject. You will encounter sources like this more often in
the humanities and social sciences than in medicine and the
sciences where it is crucial to consider the current research. If in
doubt about an older source, ask your professor or a librarian for
guidance.
 Shiny and New Car – Current research and information is usually
best. For example, if you’re researching a controversial issue, you
should consider the debate that is playing out right now. In the
sciences, new practices and innovations are being introduced all
 the time. Current information could make the difference between
life and death.

Currency – Questions to Ask?

When was the source (website, article, book, etc.) published?
 Books – Have the date information on the back of the Title Page.
 Internet Articles – and websites usually post the date information
just after the article title or at the bottom of the webpage.
Do you need ‘up-to-date’ info? Does your topic require recent sources?
 If you are writing about iPads or heart surgery techniques, you
are going to need very new, up-to-date information.
 If you are writing about Abraham Lincoln it might be okay to
have information that is older, such as a book or an article written
10 or even 40 years ago.

Relevance
Does this source really fit into your argument?

Party Crashing Sources

Have you ever thrown a party and suddenly wondered, “Who are all of
those people? Who invited them?” The same thing happens with
sources. Your searches will often turn up sources that just aren’t right.

Relevance – What Questions to Ask?

 Does your source fit it?

 Does your source really relate to your topic and help you support
your argument?
This may seem obvious, but sometimes when you are in a hurry to find
information, you find articles that sort of relate to your topic, but don’t
truly help you to make your argument. Take the time to find information
that helps you make the point you want to make. Your argument will be
stronger!
Is your paper on juicing fruit and veggies or on “juicing” with steroids?
Is the information at the appropriate level?
Make sure that the information source is neither too basic nor too
advanced for the audience. For example, don’t use as author biography
from an online bookstore for your English paper!

Authority
Who wrote or published your source? What are their credentials?

Which of these authors would you trust?

 Alexander – This is Dr. Alexander Lee. Dr. Lee is an Associate
Professor and public policy researcher at Harvard Kennedy School
of Government. He has a PhD in political science from Columbia
University, publishes his research in academic journals, and
presents papers at conferences around the world.
 Todd – This is Todd. Todd has a blog. He writes about his feelings
on politics, video games, and his cat, Noodles. Todd’s only real
expertise is his cat, Noodles.
 Elise – This is Elise. Elise is a technology blogger. She works in
the industry, tests new products first hand, live-blogs tech events,
and attends all major conferences. She writes for a respected
insider technology website.
 Kevin – This is Kevin. Kevin is a conspiracy theorist. He has self-
published eleven books, which you can order from the PayPal link
on his website. They have many typos.
I hope you would choose Todd!

Authority – Questions to Ask?

 Who authored/created the information?

 Who is the Author, publisher, or creator of the article, website, or

book?
For articles and books, it is usually pretty easy to find the name of
the author. However, Internet articles often do not have authors
 listed, in which case the creator of the website is considered to be the
author of the article. Many websites list authors at the bottom of the
home page.

 What are the author’s credentials? Is he/she qualified to write on

this topic?
 Since anyone can post anything on the Internet, you need to make
sure that the author has the expertise to know what he/she is
talking about. Try Googling the author. What can you learn about
their qualifications? What other works have they written? No
Name = No Credentials = No Way!

Accuracy
How does your source hold up? Is there enough support?

Accurate, reliable sources are usually backed by:

Support, Evidence, and Research

Example-
You must choose a bridge to cross a river:
 Lars recommends a narrow wood and rope foot bridge. You know
that Lars likes shortcuts. Lars says this bridge should hold up fine.
But who is Lars, anyway? Would you rather cross a river on a
strong bridge made of Iron and concrete or the one that Lars
recommended?

Accuracy – Questions to Ask

 Is there any support?

 Is the information supported by evidence or outside sources?

If you come across an information source that does not cite where the
author got the facts, be skeptical.
Example-
“A survey conducted in 2009 by CareerBuilder.com
found the use of social media sites by employers to
screen job candidates had doubled from the previous
year.27 The Society for Human Resource Management
conducted a survey of more than 500 of its member in
October 2011 and concluded that 18% of employers
who recruited job candidates used social network
searches as a screening tool for these candidates.28…
27
Sommers, Meredith. “Employers Differ On Checking
Online; ACLU Rips Use by State Police”,
Washington Times, 4 Apr. 2012, p. A16.
28
Kadaba, Lini S. “What is Privacy? As Job-Seekers
Are Judged by Their Tweets and Facebook Posts,
Uncertainty Abounds,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 2
May 2012.
http://articles.philly.com/2012-05-03/news/31539
376_1_facebook-photos-facebook-passwords-
employers.

Notice how this author cites evidence and uses footnotes to show where
she found the information.

This quote was cited from:

Hidy, Kathleen McGarvey, and Mary Sheila E. McDonald. “Risky
Business: The Legal Implications of Social Media's Increasing
Role in Employment Decisions.” Journal of Legal Studies in
Business, vol. 18, 2013, pp. 69-107.

 Does the information seem correct based on your personal

knowledge?
Trust your gut. If a source just seems wrong, be skeptical and
consider another source for your research. The Internet is full of false
claims, hoax websites, and satire.
Example- “New Study Finds 85% if Americans Don’t Know All The
Dance Moves To National Anthem” from the Onion.

The Onion is a satirical newspaper that publishes outlandish, fake news

stories. Yet many people fall for their headlines day after day!

Purpose
Why was your source written?
Here are a few common reasons information is published
 Sell – Infomercials
 Inform – Reporter on the news, Researcher in a study
 Persuade – Activist, Debater/Speechmaker

Purpose – Questions to Ask

 Why was your source written?

 What is the purpose of the source?

Information that is seeking to sell you something or persuade you is

more likely to discuss the positive aspects of a product or point of view.
For a more balanced view, seek out sources that were created to inform.

 Does the information express a bias toward a particular view?

Information of all purposes can be used. In fact, sometimes information

that presents a bias or preference for a certain point of view can be
useful when you are creating an argument. However, if you are writing
an informative paper, it is a good idea to acknowledge any bias you find
in your source, so that your teacher knows that you recognize the
expressed bias.

Example- Environmental Issues – Who says? How would information

published by Oil Companies differ from statements by environmental
advocacy groups like the Sierra Club or the federal Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)?

Practice Evaluating Sources

Try This: Use it or Lose it?

You’ve found 6 sources for your paper on “Teen Cellphone Use.”
Which ones should you use? Use the CRAAP Test to help you decide.
 A Book called Wireless Personal Communication from 1993.
o No! This source is not current enough for your topic!
 An Article containing current statistics about texting while
driving.
o Yes! This article is relevant to your topic!
 A Quote from a website saying that 110% of high school students
use cell phones.
o No! This quote is not accurate!
 A Report on smartphone usage on the Techcrunch website.
o Yes! This report is relevant to your topic!
 A Blog Entry about smartphones by someone with the username
Android4Eva.
o No! The author does not have any credentials to show
expertise!
 An Editorial by a MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
mother that texting while driving is as dangerous as drinking and
driving.
o Yes! MADD is a trusted source for statistics about drunk
driving!

Try This – CRAAP Spotting

Now let’s use the CRAAP Test to evaluate a webpage. You have found
an online article about allergies for your research paper, but you need to
determine if this is a credible source. Here are 5 problems you may
encounter with the webpage:
  Advertisement to shop at Fragrance Farm, which sells allergy safe
fragrances
o There are huge ads for an online fragrance store and their
allergy-safe products. The Purpose of this site is to sell you
perfume! This site will have biased information
 Author is “By Your Guide”
o We don’t know who wrote this article or whether they have
any expertise. This source has no Authority.
 Article states, “Studies show that over 98% of the general
population suffer from one form of allergic reaction or another.”
o Watch out for vague references to “studies” without any
other details. What studies? Plus the details don’t sound right.
98% of the population? Really? This gets a low score for
Accuracy.
 Copyright for webpage from FragranceFarm, Inc. in 2005
o This site is almost 10 years old (Currency). Plus this site is
owned by Fragrance Farm! Are they trying to sell you
something? (Purpose)
 AllergyFacts and Topics provide links to Fragrances for Her and to
FragranceFarm
o Why are there so many links to Fragrance Farm? Or to
various products? You should question the Purpose of this
site!

Recap
In this tutorial you have learned:
Why it is always important to evaluate information sources
How the CRAAP Test can help you identify credible sources
How you can evaluate any source by considering: Currency, Relevance,
Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose

Quiz
Evaluating Information:
The following quiz consists of 10 multiple choice questions each worth
10 points. Type the correct answer in the blank provided.

____ 1. The acronym CRAAP, used to help evaluate information stands

for:
A. Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose
B. Curriculum, Relevance, Analysis, Aptitude, Proprietary
C. Critique, Review, Analyze, Appreciate, Paraphrase
D. Content, Recentness, Applicability, Academic Honesty, Persuade

_____ 2. When you find information on the internet that relates to your
topic, you should: (Select ALL that Apply)
A. Be grateful you were able to find something useful so quickly
B. Be certain to capture a screenshot of the site to show your
instructor
C. Be skeptical of the information you find
D. Apply the CRAAP Test

____ 3. As you write a paper for your Health Science course, you notice
one your web sources covers all of the beneficial aspects of a drug you
are researching, and lists no side effects. This may lead you to think:
A. This could be the miracle drug the market has been hoping for!
B. The website might be outdated.
C. The website could be biased, and trying to sell you something.
D. You should explore the website for information on other drugs.

____ 4, By applying the “Authority” test for evaluating information, you

can investigate whether:
A. You have the proper authorization to use a source in your paper.
B. The author of your source is considered to be an expert in the area
about which you are researching.
C. The author of your source is wanted by the authorities.
D. Your source compares favorably with sources used by other
students in your class.
____ 5. According to the CRAAP Test, Currency refers to:
A. The cost of the book of article
B. When the book, article, or website was published
C. The intended audience
D. The reliability of the source

____ 6. If you can’t tell what author or organization published a

webpage you’d like to use you should:
A. File a take-down notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright
Act
B. Look for a more authoritative, credible source
C. Assume that the author must know what he/she is talking about
D. Paraphrase the information, but not cite it

____ 7. Using the CRAAP method to evaluate which of the following

sources would NOT be appropriate for a research paper?
A. An electronic book about Jefferson accessed via the ACC catalog.
B. An article on Jefferson by a “Contributing Author” on About.com.
C. A website article on Jefferson accessed through WhiteHouse.gov.
D. A book from the public library about Thomas Jefferson and John
Adams.

____ 8. Which of the following is a question you should ask yourself to

help determine if a source is relevant?
A. Does the source appear in your top 3 search results?
B. Does the source really relate to your topic?
C. Does the information seem correct?
D. When was the source published?

____ 9. An article by an anonymous author:

A. has been written for entertainment purposes
B. may have less authority because you can’t tell if the author has any
qualifications
C. does not have to be cited in your bibliography
D. is probably biased
____ 10. Which of the following is an indicator that a source is more
likely to be accurate?
A. Advertisements
B. Opinions
C. Popularity
D. Citations

If you are required to turn in this quiz to your professor, please print by
selecting FILE => PRINT. If you are required to email the quiz to your
professor or upload it to Blackboard, please choose FILE => SAVE.

Get Help
If you need help with the material introduced in this module, ACC
Librarians would be happy to assist you. Visit the Ask a Librarian page
at http://library.austincc.edu/help/ask.php to see how you can reach us in
person, by phone or email, or via Live Chat.

Answer Key
1. A
2. C, D
3. C
4. B
5. B
6. B
7. B
8. B
9. B
10.D