Reference: Pilliro, Chris. (2009). Fitz & Pirillo. Retreived from www.blaugh.com
Evaluate your Information
Not all information in books or online is true, accurate or related to the topic that you are researching.
Like a detective you must ask yourself questions about the Currency, Relevance, Accuracy, Authority and Purpose of an information resource before you will know if the resource is "safe" to use. This is called the C.R.A.A.P. Test.
Currency
Ask: When was this website, article or book written or last updated? Is this information 'old news' that may have been updated or corrected?
- Note: Older books can still be appropriate for research, particularly in subjects like History. However, be careful that 'older' information has not been proved wrong in more recent years.
Relevance
Ask: Does this information help me understand my topic?
- Note: Differnt types of information sources (i.e. Reference Sources, Primary Sources and Secondary Sources) provide different types of information. If you are unable to find the information that you want, maybe you are looking in the wrong type of source.
Accuracy
Ask: Is the information correct, complete and without errors?
- Note: One way to check for accuracy is to look at the evidence or examples provided by a writer.
Authority
Ask: Can the writer be trusted?
- Note: Find out who the writer or producer of the information is (e.g. an author, a teacher, a professional organization, a government organization, etc.). Does the experience or credentials of the writer make them an "expert" or trusted person in this subject area? Or, is the organization that produced the information trustworthy?
Purpose
Ask: Why was this information produced?
- Note: Information is created by different people/groups for different reasons. It can be created to inform, explain or persuade. Be aware of any biases that the writer or producer of the information may have. Consider if this bias is unbalanced or should be included in your work.
References:
*The above references are in APA format.
