Research Basics

This research guide covers key information literacy concepts to help you become an effective researcher.

Why Evaluate?

Evaluating information sources is an important part of the research and critical thinking process.

Here are some reasons why you should evaluate your sources (even sources you find through the library!):

  • Not all information is reliable
  • Not all information is relevant to your project
  • Print and internet sources vary widely in:
    • authority
    • accuracy
    • objectivity
    • currency
    • coverage

Keep in mind that it is NOT necessary to read an entire source before you decide to use it in your paper.

To get a better idea of what sections of a source are relevant to your research, you should:

  • Look at the Table of Contents (in the front of a book), Abstract/Summary (for articles) and Index (in the back of books)
  • Read the Introduction and Conclusion

 

Evaluating Resources Checklist

Source evaluation is the cornerstone of credible research. It's essential for you to develop this skill to ensure the quality and reliability of the information you incorporate into your work.

With any source that you find, be sure to ask yourself the following questions:

Authority

Authority is the source of the information. A good authority will provide information to verify who they are and include sufficient credentials or contact information.
 
Questions to Ask: 
  • Who is the author? What are the credentials (PhD, Masters degree, work history, etc.) of the author? With whom are they affiliated with? Does their affiliation affect their credibility?
  • Is the author an expert on the subject?
  • Who is the publisher? Is the publisher reputable?
  • Is the publisher scholarly? What else has the publisher published?

Accuracy

Just because information is published in a book, journal article or on the web, does not guarantee that it is accurate.

Questions to Ask:

  • Is the information referenced so that you can verify the accuracy? Are there footnotes, endnotes, or in-text citations?
  • Is the information reliable and free from error?
  • Is there evidence to support conclusions?
  • Was the information reviewed by editors or subject experts (peer-review) before it was published?

Objectivity

It is important to keep in mind that all sources have the potential to have bias no matter what format (book, article or website) and no matter who is responsible for the material (author, publisher or funding source).
 
Questions to Ask:
  • What is the purpose? What are the authors trying to accomplish?
  • What topics are covered?
  • Is the information fact or opinion?
  • Can you detect a bias?

Currency

The currency of a resource is important because information from older sources may be outdated, inaccurate or superseded by more recent publications.

Questions to Ask:

  • When was the information created or last updated? Is there a date for when the information was last revised?
  • Is the information still valid? Has it been superseded by newer research? 
  • On websites, do the links still work? If not, it may be an indication that the information has not been updated recently.

Coverage

Think about if the information adequately covers the subject. Look for a statement describing the purpose of the source.

Questions to Ask:

  • Is the information relevant to your assignment?
  • Who was it written for? Was it written for a general audience, consumers or people in a specific profession?
  • Is the information complete? How in-depth is the information?

 

CRAAP Test

CRAAP is an acronym for the general categories of criteria that can be used to evaluate information you find.

Developed at the Meriam Library at California State University-Chico, the CRAAP Test is a list of questions to keep in mind as you evaluate your sources.