The CRAP test: evaluating your sources

The CRAP test is a way to evaluate a source based on the following criteria: Currency, Reliability, Authority and Purpose/Point of View. Below are some questions to help you think about how to measure each of the criteria.

Currency

  • How recent is the information? Can you find a date?
  • Is it current enough for your topic?
  • If the information is from a website, when was the site last updated?

Reliability

  • What kind of information is included in the resource?
  • Is content of the resource primarily opinion? Is it balanced or biased??
  • Does the creator provide references or sources for data or quotations?

Authority/Accuracy

  • Who are the authors or creators?
  • What are their credentials?
  • How do the authors or publishers make money? How does that influence what they wrote?
  • Who is the publisher or sponsor?
  • Are they reputable?
  • If it's from a website, does it have advertisements?
  • Can you verify information from this site with information from others?

Purpose/Point of View

  • Is this fact or opinion?
  • Is it biased?
  • What is the intent of this source?
  • Is the creator/author trying to sell you something?

RESOURCES:
CRAP PPT.

CRAP Map