Evaluating Sources
Not sure if your news source is reliable? Credible information can be hard to find.
This video will help you find credible information by teaching you to critically evaluate information sources using five criteria: authority, accuracy, currency, relevance, and objectivity.
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The CRAAP Test
Before you use or rely on information provided by a source, apply the CRAAP Test by asking the following questions:
Currency: How timely is the information? Is it the most recent information or data on the topic?
Relevance: Is the information relevant to my research? Who is the audience?
Authority: What is the source of the information? Is the source an authority or expert on the subject? What are the author's credentials? Is the author affiliated with an organization that might benefit from the research? Is there current contact information for the author?
Accuracy: Is the information reliable and truthful? Is the information supported by other research?
Purpose: Why does the information exist? Is it objective and impartial, or is it promoting something such a product or a particular religious, cultural or political point of view? Is it for entertainment or education?
Fact-Checker Sites
- FactCheck.orgA project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, FactCheck.org is nonpartisan and nonprofit political fact-checking site.
- Fact CheckerFact Checker: The Truth Behind the Rhetoric is a newspaper column written by Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post.
- Politifact.comPolitifact.com is a project of Tampa Bay Times (formerly The St. Petersburg Times), one of the largest daily newspapers in Florida.
- Snopes.comThis site has a reputation for debunking hoaxes and urban legends. It was founded in 1995 by a couple in Los Angeles who had an interest in urban legends.
- OpenSecrets.orgThis nonpartisan, nonprofit site tracks money in U.S. politics, and the impact of money on elections and public policy.