Crap or CRAAP?

Is anything I find online okay for my

research paper, or is it all crap?

WHERE ARE YOU

LOCATED?Poll: Click the “Polls” link in the Workshop Links box.

Your Librarians

Liz Johns (speaking) Sara Oestreich (chat)

WHAT MAKES A SOURCE A

“GOOD” SOURCE?Poll: Click the “Polls” link in the Workshop Links box.

CRAAP Test

Curre

cny

HOW CURRENT IS

CURRENT?Poll: Click the “Polls” link in the Workshop Links box.

Currency: Things to consider

When was it written?

Last edited?

How far back should I go for my topic?

Rele

vance

Relevance: Things to consider

Is it really related to your topic? Does it

answer your research question?

Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e.

not too elementary or advanced for your

needs)?

Would you be comfortable citing this source

in your research paper? (Gut feeling.)

Auth

ority

Authority: Things to consider

Who is the

author/publisher/source/sponsor?

Is the author qualified to write on the topic?

Is the author/organization or website well-

known?

WHICH SOURCE?Poll: Click the “Polls” link in the Workshop Links box.

Accura

cy

Accuracy: Things to consider

Are the facts right?

Where does the information come from?

Is the information supported by evidence?

Are there spelling, grammar or typographical

errors?

HOW CAN YOU TEST

ACCURACY?Poll: Click the “Polls” link in the Workshop Links box.

Purp

ose

Purpose: Things to consider

Why did the author or publisher create this?

Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or

persuade?

Is the information fact, opinion or

propaganda?

Does the point of view appear objective and

impartial?

BIAS: HOW CAN YOU

TELL?Poll: Click the “Polls” link in the Workshop Links box.

CRAAP Test

KEEP IN MIND…Search engines retrieve pages based on the page content, not the relevancy or quality of the page. This means that the first result is not necessarily

the BEST result.

APPLYING THE CRAAP

TEST1. Open the Climate Change Article

2. [Quickly] Read the Article

3. Open the Google doc.

4. Find your name – answer the questions in the appropriate row in the spreadsheet.

JUST FOR FUN:

WIKIPEDIALink Box

http://tinyurl.com/7qgfgag

BEFORE YOU GOLink box: What will you do differently in the link box.

http://tinyurl.com/ksnsqh8