Choosing a website as a source in your paper or project, requires a different set of skills from those needed to look up scores of favorite teams, what movie to see, or where to find the lowest gas prices.
The skills needed include a critical evaluation of websites. Let's look at one way of doing that! Applying the C.R.A.A.P. test.
Choosing websites for your academic research assignments involves taking a close look at the currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose of the information on the site - also known as the CRAAP test.
Make sure that the information you use for an assignment passes the CRAAP test by asking questions:
Currency: When was this information produced?
Relevance: Is the information important to your topic?
Authority: Who is the source?
Accuracy: How reliable is the information?
Purpose: Why was the information produced?
If you are unsure, look at this expanded list of questions to determine the value of your information resource.
