Have your professors asked you to find credible, reliable information resources for a paper or project? The next time you are looking at a webpage or an article from a database and wondering if the information is accurate and credible, use the C.R.A.P. test to decide.
- Current - When was it written or updated last?
- Reliable - Where did the info come from, is there evidence to back it up? Or just anecdotes?
- Authority - Who wrote it? Are they experts or authorities about this topic?
- Purpose - Why was it created? What's the purpose? Does it seem biased, one-sided, sensational? Is it an editorial or opinion piece, trying to persuade, or to sell something? Or fact-based, objective, trying to inform?
For more detailed information on deciding if a source is credible, see the links and videos below.
