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When you search for information, you're going to find plenty... but is it accurate and reliable? You will have to determine this for yourself, and the CRAAP Test can help. The CRAAP Test is a list of questions to help determine if the information you find is good quality. Your information source may not meet every criterion on this list; different criteria will be more or less important depending on your situation or need. So why guess? Is your source giving you truly credible and useful information, or just a lot of...?! |
Currency: The timeliness of the information.
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Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.
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Authority: The source of the information.
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Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the information.
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Purpose: The reason the information exists.
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*criteria specifically for evaluating Web site information
adapted from: Evaluating information – Applying the CRAAP test, 10/24/2007. Reference & Instruction, Meriam Library ReSEARCH Station, Meriam Library, California State University, Chico, CA. 17 Mar 2008. <http://www.csuchico.edu/lins/handouts/evalsites.html> |
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K. Cheromcha & M. MacDonald, 3/08
Scholarly Journals
(Peer-Reviewed/Refereed)
Examples |
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Peer-Reviewed |
"Peer-reviewed" articles have been reviewed by other professionals within the field. They have been thoroughly |
Author |
The author's credentials are (usually) provided; typically the institution where the author(s) worked when the article was |
Audience | Scholars, researchers, or students |
Example Article | A long postreproductive life span is a shared trait among genetically distinct killer whale populations. |
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Source/Journal Title | |
Authors |
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Author Credentials | 1Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK 2Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Vancouver BC,, Canada 3Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK 4College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK 5Center for Whale Research, Friday Harbor WA,, USA 6Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK |
References Included | An extensive list of references included |
Professional Journals
Examples |
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Content |
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Author | Usually a professional or practitioner in the field |
Audience | Professionals in the field; interested non-professionals |
Example Article | Trauma-Informed Care: Are We There Yet? |
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Source/Publication Title | Texas Nursing |
Author | Pam Green |
Author's Credentials | Director of the Texas Nursing Association |
References Included | Seven listed at the end |
Trade Journals
Examples |
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Content |
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Author | May be a professional in the field or a writer with some subject experience |
Audience | Professionals in the field; interested non-professionals |
Example Article | 2022 LIBRARY DESIGN SHOWCASE: The year's most impressive new and renovated libraries. |
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Source/Publication Title | American Libraries |
Author | Sallyann Price |
Author's Credentials | Over a decade of interviewing and writing experience in nonprofits, public affairs, and professional associations. |
References Included | None |
Popular Sources
(Magazines/Newspapers/Other Media)
Examples |
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Content |
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Author | Authors are typically journalists paid to write articles who are not experts in any particular field. |
Audience | General public; interested non-specialists |
Example Article | Mark Hamill Explains Why 'Star Wars' Came Up in Conversation with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy |
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Source | People Magazine |
Author | Ryan Parker |
Author's Credentials | Senior News Editor, Weekends |
References Included | None |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.