Evaluating information sources is an important part of the research process, and it can be done quite easily with the CRAAP test. CRAAP is an acronym for:
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Currency
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Relevance
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Authority
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Accuracy
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Purpose
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Credit: Artwork by Scriberia for Collins Dictionary
The next time you spot an online post that has gone viral on Facebook, use the CRAAP test before before hitting the share button!
Currency: Is the information current or out of date? An old news article may resurface and be shared, even though the content may no longer be valid.
Relevance: Read beyond that sensational headline to determine if the article's content is relevant to the topic at hand.
Authority: Who is the author? Is there a name, bio, description, or link to an official website?
Accuracy: Are there spelling and grammatical errors? Such errors suggest that the author might have hastily posted the information.
Purpose: Is it satire or an actual piece of news? Satirical articles which are meant to entertain are sometimes shared as actual news. Also, look out for bias. Does the article show only one side of an argument?