Is your Information Reliable and
Accurate? : Use the CRAAP Test to
Evaluate Information Sources
From fake
news stories to predatory publishers, how do you know the info you found on the
web is the real thing? We all know that
anyone can publish on the web; but how
do you know it’s reliable and accurate? When you’re making health care decisions,
this becomes even more important.
Your
Librarians have developed a CRAAP Detector to help you evaluate information
and its sources.
Currency - The timeliness of the
information
- When was the information
published or posted?
- Has the information been
revised or updated?
- Is the information current or
out-of date for your topic?
- If the source is a webpage are
the links functional?
Relevance - The usefulness of the
information for your needs
- 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?
- Can it help you find other
information related to your topic?
- Would you be comfortable using
this source for a research paper? Or for Patient Care?
Authority - The source of the information
- Who is the
author/publisher/source/sponsor?
- Are the author's credentials or
organizational affiliations given?
- What are the author's
qualifications to write on the topic?
- Is there contact information,
such as a publisher or e-mail address?
- If the source is a webpage does
the URL reveal anything about the author or source? examples: .com .edu
.gov .org .net
Accuracy - The correctness and reliability of the information
- Where does the information come
from?
- Is the information supported by
evidence?
- Has the information been
reviewed or refereed?
- Can you verify any of the
information in another source or from personal knowledge?
- Does the language or tone seem
unbiased and free of emotion?
- Are there spelling, grammar, or
other typographical errors?
Purpose - The reason for the information
- Is the author free from a
conflict of interest that would bias what she or he has to say? (i.e. they
work for the company on which they are reporting; they have stock in
the product they are testing, etc.)
- Do the authors/sponsors make
their intentions or purpose clear?
- Is the information fact?
opinion? propaganda?
- Does the point of view appear
objective and impartial?
- Are there political,
ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?
- Are they selling something?
For more
info, please see the following Search Tips and LibGuides Pages :
Contact Your Ministry Health Care Librarian for questions, comments, or additional help
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