The acronym CRAAP stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. These are criteria that can help you evaluate sources of information you have retrieved.
Asking the questions indicated here about each website, document or piece of information that you find will help you decide which ones are relevant for your project.
Currency: the timeliness of information
Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well?
When was the information posted or published?
Is the information current or out-of-date for your topic?
Has the information been revised or updated?
Are the links functional?
Relevancy: the importance of the information for your needs
Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
Who is the intended audience?
Is the information at an appropriate level?
Have you looked at a variety of sources before choosing the one?
Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?
Authority: the expertise of the source.
Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
Are the author’s credentials or organizational affiliation given?
What are the author’s qualifications to write on the topic?
Is there contact information to reach the author or the publisher?
Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source? (examples: .com .edu .gov .org .net)
Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content
Where did the information come from?
Is the information supported by evidence?
Is there a bibliography, or has someone reviewed the source?
Can you verify the information in another source?
Are there spelling, grammar, or typographical errors?
Purpose: the reason the information exists
What is the purpose of the information?
Does the author or sponsor make their intentions and purpose clear?
Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda?
Does the language or tone seem biased or is it free from emotion?
Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?
