SWK 6382 Social Work Practice with Communities and Organizations

The CRAAP test guides us through some questions to ask about a source to determine its quality.

Currency

- When was this published? Has it been updated?
- Is the information still accurate now or is it out-of-date or incomplete?

Relevance

- Will this source help you understand your topic or complete your assignment?
- Does this source meet your assignment's criteria? 

Authority

- Who published this? Is this a source others trust? ​
- Who wrote this? What are their credentials?

Accuracy

- Is there evidence for claims made–maybe citations?
- Can you verify the information in other places?
- Do we know or believe this information was reviewed before publication--whether by fact-checkers or through a peer-review process?

Purpose

- Is this source trying to sell something? Is it intended to entertain?
- Are these opinions, based on one perspective, or facts?
- Does this source seem biased?

Tip: You can answer these questions using information from the source and the rest of the web. Don't recognize a publication or website? Google it to see what others are saying!

Lateral Reading

Learn more about a source to determine its credibility. What is the website or organization? Do others trust it?

• Open a new tab to search for information about the website from others.
• Look for information on the website itself about who they are. Keep an eye out for mission, funding, and potential biases.
• Open a new tab and search for the claims in your source. See if other reliable sources are reporting the same thing or go to the origin of the claim.