SVC Library: Library Research Strategies: Evaluating Sources

What is this page for?

This page provides tools for evaluating sources.

Evaluating sources helps to determine credibility and reliability.

Share this page: https://library.skagit.edu/research-help/eval

CRAP Checklist for Evaluating Sources

You can use this list as a quick checklist for evaluating sources, whether they are websites or from SVC resources. You don't need to be able to answer all the questions but use the list as a general evaluating tool.

CURRENCY	How recent is the information, does it matter to your topic? Has the resource been consistently updated/revised? Are links current and working?
RELEVANCE	Is the information really relevant to your topic? Does the creator provide references or sources for data or ideas? Are there errors?
AUTHORITY	Who is the creator, author or sponsor? What credentials does the author or organization have? Does their experience or education indicate that they could be considered "experts"? Is information about the creator easily found? Is information provided about funding sources or data gathering for the work?
PURPOSE / POINT OF VIEW	What is the the purpose of the site? Is it obvious what it's for? Are they trying to sell you something or promote an idea? Who is the intended audience? Is there a strong bias, an aggressive use of language, or a balanced tone? Are there lots of pop-ups and irrelevant ads?

SIFT

Use the SIFT method for evaluating digital sources. (More about SIFT)

**SIFT**
STOP	Check your emotions - if your first response to information is emotional, take a moment before you do anything. What do you know about the source? What do you know about the information? Try the other steps before you commit, share, or repost.
Investigate	Who wrote it and why? Who is the speaker, author, or publisher? What is the purpose or the agenda for supplying the information? Who supports them (where does the money come from)? What is the expertise, education, experience behind the information? If you don't know or can't find out, try to Google the person or organization, or check Wikipedia.
Find better coverage	Look for the information in other trusted sources. Check in at least 3 other places to verify accuracy and coverage. Is there more reliable or in-depth information elsewhere? Use that instead!
Trace to original source	Dig deeper to find the original source for the claim and verify how the information is used or reused. Check for expert consensus or historical context.