6.3 – The CRAAP Test and Evaluating Resources

Learning Objectives

After completing this tutorial you will be able to:

  • identify key components to evaluating information,
  • apply the CRAAP test as an evaluation tool.

Introduction

This chapter will outline some key concepts to consider when analyzing internet sources. This knowledge will help you do better research for assignments and in daily life.

Watch Evaluating internet sources and fake news with ncLibraries on YouTube (8 mins)

The importance of evaluating sources:

Watch Why is this important on YouTube (1 min)

Evaluating Sources I

Evaluating Sources I (Text version)

Knowing how to evaluate information is only useful for school assignments. True or false?

Check your Answer: [1]

Consider the source:

Watch Consider the source on YouTube (1 min)

Evaluating Sources II

Evaluating Sources II (Text version)

Where can you look to find author information for a website:

  1. About
  2. Information
  3. All of the above
  4. None of the above

Check your Answer: [2]

Motivation & Bias:

Watch Motivation/bias on YouTube (2 mins)

Evaluating Sources III

Evaluating Sources III (Text version)

Shortening the URL to find the homepage of the site that you’re viewing might also give you information about any groups or organizations that this information is aligned with. True or false?

Check your Answer: [3]

Check the evidence:

Watch Evidence on YouTube (1 min)

Evaluating Sources IV

Evaluating Sources IV (Text version)

The more verifiable evidence that a site uses, the more likely that the information that site is trying to convey is accurate. True or false?

Check your Answer: [4]

Timeliness:

Watch Timeliness on YouTube (1 min)

Evaluating Sources IV

Evaluating Sources IV

Which of the following is important when evaluating a source from the web:

  1. The author or creator
  2. The date posted
  3. Supporting evidence
  4. All of the above
  5. None of the above

Check your Answer: [5]

The CRAAP/RADAR Test:

Watch Evaluating sources: CRAAP/RADAR on YouTube (1 min)

Evaluating Sources VI

Evaluating Sources VI (Text version)

Which of the following is NOT part of the CRAAP test?

  1. Currency
  2. Relevance
  3. Authority
  4. Aptitude
  5. Purpose

Check your Answer: [6]

What makes news “fake”?

Watch Fake news on YouTube (2 mins)

Evaluating Resources VII

Evaluating Resources VII (Text version)

You can trust the headline to represent the content of an online news source. True or false?

Check your Answer: [7]

Conclusion: be a skeptic!

Watch Summary on YouTube (1 min)

Evaluating Sources IX

Evaluating Sources IX (Text version)

Fill in the missing words

Evaluating your sources helps you construct stronger (a)                             and make better (b)                          .

Check your Answer: [8]

Questions?

Contact your college’s library!

Attribution & References

This chapter (text, H5P activities and embedded videos) was adapted from “The CRAAP Test and Evaluating Resources” In Niagara College Libraries + Learning Commons Information Skills Online Handbook by Jackie Chambers Page and Siscoe Boschman, licensed under CC BY 4.0. / Adaptations include accessibility updates. Attributions for this chapter’s videos were noted in a final video, which have been transcribed into text below for consistency and “Credits” video removed.

References & Credits from videos in this section:

Except for screenshots or otherwise indicated, photographs are used under an Unsplash.com license.

Slide 2: Wei, H. (Photographer). [Untitled image of thinking person] [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/@herlifeinpixels?photo=aso6SYJZGps

Slide 6: Lark, B. (Photographer). [Untitled image of person holding calendar] [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/search/calendar?photo=BRBjShcA8D4

Slide 9: Silas, J. (Photographer). [Untitled image of book with magnifying glass and pen] [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/@joaosilas?photo=I_LgQ8JZFGE

Slide 10: Simcoe, J. (Photographer). [Untitled image of book with magnifying glass and pen] [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/search/ask-more-questions?photo=GxnyOLTxCr8

Blakeslee, S. (2010). Evaluating information – Applying the CRAAP test. http://www.csuchico.edu/lins/handouts/eval_websites.pdf

International Federation of Library Associations. (2017). How to spot fake news.  https://www.ifla.org/publications/node/11174

Manadlios, J. (2013). RADAR: An approach for helping students evaluate internet sources. Journal of Information Science, 39(4), 470-478. doi: 10.1177/016555151347889

  1. False ↵
  2. 3. If author information is not clearly stated elsewhere, check the "about" or "information" pages of a website may provide additional clues. ↵
  3. True. Shortening the url to find the homepage of a site is a helpful way to trace back the source. ↵
  4. True. The more evidence to support a claim, the better! ↵
  5. 4. All of the criteria listed are important for evaluating internet resources. ↵
  6. Aptitude is not part of the CRAAP test. ↵
  7. False. You should always read beyond the headline. ↵
  8. (a) arguments (b) decisions. ↵

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

6.3 - The CRAAP Test and Evaluating Resources Copyright © 2022 by Jen Booth, Emily Cramer & Amanda Quibell, Georgian College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book