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HIST 021/136 U.S. History 1 & HIST 022/137 U.S. History 2: Evaluate Sources

US HIST 1 = HIST 021 / 136 and US HIST 2 = HIST 022 / 137

Evaluate the Quality of All Your Sources - Use Only Credible Information

Evaluating sources using the C.R.A.P test

Use the C.R.A.P. Evaluation criteria below to evaluate the quality of your source.

  • If your source does not satisfy these criteria, you may want to find a different, more credible source
Currency
  • When was the source published or updated?
  • Is currency of info important for your topic? (Does info change rapidly or frequently?)
  • Is older, historical info important for your topic?
Reliability
  • Where do the facts or info come from?
  • Is content of the resource primarily opinion? Primarily fact? Is  it balanced?
  • Can you find citations or lists of references?
  • Can you verify any of the info in another source?
  • Does the source go through some type of review process before it is published?
Authority
  • Is the info from an authoritative source?
  • What is considered “authoritative” for your topic?
  • Can you determine the author’s or organization’s qualifications, credentials, expertise, affiliations, experience?
  • Does the author acknowledge any biases?
Purpose
  • Why is this info being published? To inform, teach, sell, entertain, persuade, other? How did you determine this?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • Can you determine if the publisher/sponsor has political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases?
  • For web sources, what is the domain? (.edu, .gov, .com, .org, .net, other?)

Video: Using the C.R.A.P. Test to Evaluate Websites

Source: "Using the C.R.A.P. Test to Evaluate Websites" by Portland State University Library, is licensed under a Standard YouTube License.

This video explains the C.R.A.P. test and then uses it to evaluate three websites on the topic of performance enhancing drugs in sports.

Video: Research 101: Format Matters

Source: "Research 101: Format matters" by Anna Eisen, is licensed under a Standard YouTube License.

Learn about the process behind how different formats are created, how to connect format to purpose and identify source types appropriate to a need. Also, learn that information may be perceived differently based on the format in which it is packaged.

Video: Research 101: Credibility is Contextual

Source: "Research 101: Credibility is Contextual" by Anna Eisen, is licensed under a Standard YouTube License.

Learn about how credibility depends on many factors including the author, audience and purpose.

Try It!

Test Yourself

Click on the websites below and consider two questions:

  1. Would these be a good sources to use for your research paper?  Why or why not?
  2. Where do you click on or where do you look to determine their credibility?