Currency

It may not be possible to judge the accuracy of information if we do not know when the information was created or updated.

Is the website from an appropriate time?

When was it originally published?
Has it been updated or revised since then?
Does the time frame fit your needs?
Are there broken links? Invalid links may reveal that the site has not been maintained.
Is any other information provided about how often the site is updated?

Relevance

It is important to choose a source that is relevant to your topic and/or assignment

Is the source relevant to your research question?

Does the information relate to the topic or answer your question?
Who is the intended audience?
Does the source add something to your knowledge of the topic?
Is it a primary or secondary source?
Is the information general or detailed?

Authority

To determine the authority of a site, look for information about the author and sponsoring institution:

Can you trust the source the information comes from?

Is the author and/or sponsor of the site clearly identified?
Does the author list his or her credentials, qualifications related to the subject, or other biographical details?
Does the author list his or her affiliation to the sponsoring institution? Is there a link to background information about the sponsoring institution?
Is there an e-mail link or address and telephone number available to contact the author or sponsor?
What does the URL end with? (.gov, .org, .edu, .com?)

Accuracy

When looking at a source you need to know where the information came from and how it is presented.

Is the information supported by evidence?
Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?
Does the author provide references for quotations and data?

Purpose/Point of View/Objectivity

To help you determine if a site is objective or if it presents a biased point of view, consider the following:

What is the author's motivation for publishing the resource?

Is the author trying to inform, persuade, sell to, or entertain you?
Looking at the domain name may help you to answer this question:
- .com (commercial site) is probably promoting a product or service
- .edu (educational site) or .gov (government site) are probably informational sites
- .org (non-profit organizational site) may be advocating a certain viewpoint
- a "~" or tilde symbol in the address means that it is a personal page, so it may not be officially endorsed by the sponsoring institution
Does the author seem objective or biased? Do they name any affiliations or conflicts of interest?
Is the sponsoring party of the site identifiable? What is the purpose or goal of the sponsoring party?
Are there links to outside Web sites? Or do links all point to internal documents?
Is there advertising on the page? If so, is it clearly differentiated from the information presented?

A printable Word document worksheet is available CRAAP Test Worksheet

Here is a printable version of The CRAAP Test

The C.R.A.A.P. Test was created by librarian Molly Beestrum at Dominican University. ( Modifications and additions by Barstow Community College library)