C.R.A.A.P. Test: Home

Currency

New information is discovered and learned all the time. Does this source provide the most current information available that is known about this topic?

• HOW RECENT IS THE INFORMATION IN THIS SOURCE?
• When was the information of this source made available? (Distributed or published or created?)
• Is more recent information available somewhere else?
   
• WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR YOUR TOPIC?
• Do you need information from a particular time or time period for your topic?
• Do you need recent information?
• Do you need information taken during a particular event? From the person(s) who did it? From someone who witnessed the event?
• Do you need information from people who were not present but who thought about and analyzed the event or situation later?

Relevance

Is this information relevant to what you need?

• DOES THIS SOURCE PROVIDE WHAT YOU NEED?
• ​Is the information relevant to your topic?
• Does the source cover your topic in the detail that you need?
• Is the information covered in detail or does it just provide an overview?
• Is the source peer-reviewed? Is the language that of professionals?
   
• WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR YOUR TOPIC?
• Do you need broad, general information to provide an overview?
• Do you need detailed, in depth information to dig into the topic?
• Do you need a peer-reviewed publication?
• Who will be the audience for your assignment? Your classmates? Your professor? Other people majoring in the topic? Non-majors?

Accuracy

Is the information accurate and true?

• WHAT DOES THIS SOURCE PROVIDE?
• 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 typographical errors? 

• WHAT DO YOU NEED?
• Do you need accurate, factual information?
• Are you telling a fictional story and you are simply looking for creative ideas rather than facts?

Authority

Who created this information and are they qualified to discuss this topic?

• WHAT DOES THIS SOURCE PROVIDE
• Who was the author or creator? Who created this information?
  • Who wrote it?
  • Who photographed it?
  • Who filmed it?
• Who is distributing this information? What company, website, publisher, charity, provider, or other entity is sharing this source for the author?
• Do the author(s) have appropriate credentials and expertise to be an expert providing this information to the audience?

• WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR YOUR TOPIC?
• Do you need information from researchers?
• Do you need information from experts in the field?
• Do you need information from people who were present at an event?

Purpose/Point-of-View

What was the intent of the author, and how is the author connected to the information?

• WHAT DOES THIS SOURCE PROVIDE
• What is the purpose of the information in the source?
• Does the author or the provider gain or lose something depending upon whether the audience agrees with or believes the information? Are there circumstances that might tempt the author to not tell the whole truth? 
  • Is the information intended to sell something?
  • Is the information trying to persuade the audience to accept a specific point of view? If so, is the source providing all of the information you need to make a decision?
  • Is the information balanced? Does it provide both sides of an issue? 
  • Is the information biased? Does it present only one side of an issue?
  • Can the source be trusted?
• Is the information intended to entertain? If so, is the information entertaining because it is inaccurate? Accurate?
• Does the author just WANT it to be true so much so that they are not asking critical questions or they are disregarding any evidence to the contrary?

• WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR YOUR TOPIC?
• Do you need accurate information?
• Have you already found information about one side of an issue and now you need to find more about the other side?
• Do YOU just WANT it to be true so much so that YOU are not asking critical questions or YOU are disregarding any evidence to the contrary?