Evaluating Websites Using CRAAP
Why Evaluate Websites? Anyone can publish on the Web Many resources are not verified No editors Web often used to give a point of view Market orientated Mix of entertainment, information and advertising
Evaluate Websites Using the CRAAP test Currency Relevance Authority Accuracy Purpose
Currency The timeliness of the information. Is the information up-to-date? Is the date of publication available? Is there enough information on the topic?
Relevance The importance of the information for your needs Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question? Who is the intended audience?
Authority The source of the information. What are the author’s qualifications for writing this web page? Are the author’s name and credentials listed on the website?
Accuracy The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content Can it be verified in an encyclopedia? Is it relevant to your topic? Does the author indicate where he found the information? Is the information free of spelling and grammatical errors?
Purpose The reason the information exists What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade? Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear? Is the information fact? opinion? Does the point of view appear objective and impartial? Are there political, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?
Avoiding Plagiarism
Plagiarism the act of passing off as one's own the ideas or writings of another
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