The CRAAP Test

Evaluate Sources Based on the Following Criteria:
Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose/Point of View

• Currency
  • How recent is the information?
  • How recently has the website been updated?
  • Is it current enough for your topic?
• Relevance
  • Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
  • Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
  • Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?
  Authority
  • Who is the creator or author?
  • What are the credentials of the author/creator?
  • Who is the publisher or sponsor?
  • Are they reputable?
  • What is the publisher's interest (if any) in this information?
  • Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?

  Accuracy

  • Is the information reliable?
  • Is there supporting evidence for the information?
  • Does the information presented include a bibiliography?
  • Is the information peer-reviewed?
  • Can you find other sources to validate the information?
  • Is the information presented free from spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors?
•  Purpose/Point of View
  • Is this fact or opinion?
  • Is it biased?
  • Is the creator/author trying to sell you something? Are there advertisements on the website?
  • Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?

              examples: .com (commercial), .edu (educational), .gov (U.S. government),
                 .org (nonprofit organization), or .net (network)

(adapted from LOEX 2008 wiki)