1. Evaluating Sources
Is it C.R.A.P.?

2. So Many Sources Must be reliable Must be relevant
Books, articles, websites, interviews

3. The C.R.A.P. Test Guideline to determine usability Acronym for…
Currency
Relevancy
Authority
Purpose

4. Currency NOT $ Is the information recent General rule
Published in the last 4 years
Published at the time of the actual event, discovery, etc.

5. Relevancy Does it apply to your topic? How much applies to your topic?
Is the Information applicable to your topic?
Is the information general or detailed, balanced and biased?

6. Authority Who authored the information? Are they trustworthy?
What are their credentials?
One person or many?
Corporation or Organization?
Are there methods/references?
Is it peer-reviewed?

7. Purpose Who is the intended audience?
Is the information to inform, persuade, sell, entertain, etc.?
Is this a first-hand account of an event or research?
Does the author have a vested interest in the topic?

8. Primary Sources Primary = raw materials of history Original documents
Archives and manuscripts
Photos, recordings, film
Journals, letters, diaries
Speeches
Scrap books

9. Primary Sources Cont.
Books, newspapers, magazines, published at the time
Government publications
Oral histories
Organizational records
Autobiographies/memoirs

10. Primary Sources Cont. Artifacts Research data, polls, etc.
s, listsservs
Maps

11. Secondary Sources Encyclopedias Chronologies Biographies
Journal Articles not written at the time of the event
Most published books
Book, art, theatre reviews

12. Secondary Sources Cont.
Abstracts of articles
Paraphrased quotations
Dictionaries
Textbooks