The CRAAP test
CRAAP stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. It was developed by Miriam Library at California State University, USA to help people decide whether the website they are viewing is reliable.
When deciding whether to use an internet site to find information look for these five things:
Currency
The timeliness of the information.
- When was the information published?
- Has there been any updates or revision to the information?
- Are the sources used by the author current or outdated?
- Is the information out-of-date for the topic?
Relevancy
The importance of the information to your context.
- Does the information answer your question?
- Is the information related to the topic you are interested in?
- Have you looked for other sources before settling on this one?
- Is the information appropriate to your level of understanding? Is it too simple or too sophisticated?
Authority
The source of the information.
- Who is the author?
- Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
- Has the material been peer-reviewed or reviewed by editors?
- Has the author been cited elsewhere?
Accuracy
The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content.
- What types of other sources have been cited?
- Does the information line up with your own knowledge on the topic?
- Are there any spelling or grammar errors in the text?
Purpose
The reason the information exists.
- What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform or persuade?
- Is the author clear what their intentions are?
- What biases might the author have? eg. are they trying to sell a product?
This version of the CRAAP list was adapted from one developed by University of Wollongong, Australia