Skip to Main Content

Research & Referencing

Select & Evaluate Resources -

Evaluating Information

 

When you search, remember that not all resources contain quality information. Some information may be inaccurate, biased, misleading, outdated, or irrelevant.

It is important to critically evaluate the information that you find to ensure that you use the best sources in your research/assignment.

There are two essential tools you can use to find reliable and reputable information: the CRAAP test and Lateral Reading.

The CRAAP Test

Evaluate your sources using the CRAAP test to find reliable, quality information.

The CRAAP test is a simple tool/process you can use to determine whether a source you have found is reliable and/or accurate. Click through the following tabs to see what CRAAP acronym stands for and the steps you should take when selecting resources:

Lateral Reading

Another technique that you can use to evaluate the sources you find is called lateral reading. This technique focuses on verifying a source as you are reading it. Evaluating where information comes from is a crucial part of deciding whether it is useful or right for your research.

Before reading vertically, open some tabs and start reading laterally. This means to begin searching about what you are reading. The ART acronym can help you evaluate the information you have found: