The CRAAP Test: Critically evaluating information sources - transcript

This is a transcript of the video "The CRAAP Test: Critically evaluating information sources", hosted on YouTube and MediaHub.

Transcript

[Caption] The CRAAP Test. Critically evaluating information sources. QUT Library]

Not sure how to identify quality information for your assignment?. Be it a journal article, website, book or blog put your information through the CRAAP Test - to identify the currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose of your sources.

Currency

  • When was the information published or posted?
  • Has the information been revised or updated?
  • Is the information current or out of date or too old for the project?

Relevance

Is the information related to your research topic?

  • Is it an in-depth examination or a quick summary?
  • Who's the intended audience? The general public, a student, researcher or industry?
  • Is the level of information too basic or advanced?

Authority

Consider who wrote or published the information.

  • Can you identify the author?
  • Are they an expert in their field?
  • What else have they written on the topic?
  • Can you verify the author's credentials or the organisation they represent?

[Image] Are they an "Internet Crackpot" or a "QUT Professor"?

Accuracy

Is the information reliable and correct?

  • Can you verify claims in the information in other sources?
  • Is there a reference list citing their supporting evidence?
  • Do they outline the methods and data used in their analysis?

Purpose

Is the intention of the information to entertain, inform, educate or perhaps sell an idea or product?

[Image] Financial Times Newspaper, OK Magazine and Nature Journal stacked on top of each other.

Summary

  • C - Currency
  • R - Relevance
  • A - Authority
  • A - Accuracy
  • P - Purpose

Try out the CRAAP test to critically evaluate your sources.

Need a little more help?

[Caption] Credits. Joplin, S. (1902). Original Rags, On Rag time dance [MP3]. St Louis, Missouri. John Stark & Son.]

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