What is the CRAAP Test?
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Julia, a librarian at Eastern Gateway Community College, introduces the CRAAP test, a tool for evaluating the quality, credibility, and usefulness of information. CRAAP stands for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose. Julia explains each criterion and provides guiding questions to help users assess information effectively, particularly for academic research. She highlights the importance of up-to-date, relevant, and reliable information, as well as identifying the purpose behind it. Viewers are encouraged to contact the library with any questions or for further assistance in evaluating sources.
Takeaways
- đ CRAAP stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose â criteria used to evaluate the quality of information.
- đ Currency refers to the timeliness of information, crucial in rapidly changing fields like technology and science.
- đ Relevance assesses how well the information fits the assignment requirements or research topic.
- đ§âđ« Authority involves the credibility and expertise of the author, creator, and publisher of the information.
- đ Accuracy is about the reliability of information, supported by credible evidence and often peer-reviewed.
- đŻ Purpose considers the main reason or rationale behind the creation of the information.
- đ€ Ask yourself if the information is current, relevant to your topic, comes from an authoritative source, is accurate, and serves your intended purpose.
- đ Check if the links within the information are functional and if the information seems up-to-date.
- đ§ Investigate the author's credentials, past works, and how often other experts cite their work to establish authority.
- đ Look for credible evidence, peer-review status, unbiased language, and supporting citations to determine accuracy.
- âïž Consider the author's intent, presence of bias, alternative perspectives, and overall tone to understand the purpose of the information.
- đ There is a follow-up video demonstrating how to use the CRAAP test on online information sources.
Q & A
What is the CRAAP test used for?
-The CRAAP test is used to evaluate the quality, credibility, and usefulness of information sources by examining factors such as currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose.
What does the acronym CRAAP stand for?
-CRAAP stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose.
Why is currency important when evaluating information?
-Currency is important because information in fields like technology or science can change rapidly, and having up-to-date information ensures that it is still accurate and relevant.
What questions should you ask yourself about the currency of information?
-You should ask: Does your topic require current information? When was the information published or last updated? Are the links functional? Does the information seem outdated or obsolete?
How can you assess the relevance of information?
-To assess relevance, ask: Does the information relate to your topic? What kind of audience is it intended for? Is it written in a way that is either too technical or too simplified for your needs?
What is meant by 'authority' in the CRAAP test?
-Authority refers to the credibility of the author, creator, or publisher. It is important to ensure that the author is qualified to write about the topic based on their credentials and expertise.
How can you verify the authority of an author or source?
-You can verify authority by investigating the author's credentials, reviewing their past work, checking how often their work is cited by others, and determining if the publisher is reliable.
Why is accuracy important when evaluating information?
-Accuracy is important because reliable information should be supported by credible evidence and peer-reviewed by experts to ensure its validity. This reduces the likelihood of bias or incorrect information.
What questions can help assess the accuracy of information?
-To assess accuracy, ask: Is the information supported by credible evidence? Has it been peer-reviewed? Does the language or tone seem unbiased? Do citations support the author's claims?
What does 'purpose' refer to in the CRAAP test, and why is it important?
-Purpose refers to the reason or motivation behind the creation of the information. Understanding the purpose helps identify whether the information is meant to inform, persuade, educate, or entertain, which can influence its bias and reliability.
Outlines
đ Introduction to the CRAAP Test
Julia, a reference and instruction librarian at Eastern Gateway Community College, introduces herself and the purpose of the video. The video focuses on reviewing the CRAAP test, which is a set of criteria used to evaluate the quality, credibility, and usefulness of information sources. CRAAP stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. Julia briefly mentions that the upcoming sections will explore these criteria in more detail and provide important questions to ask when evaluating sources.
đ Currency: Is the Information Up-to-Date?
The first criterion of the CRAAP test is currency, which focuses on how current or timely the information is. This is particularly important in fields where information changes rapidly, such as technology or science. Key questions to consider include whether the topic requires current information, when the source was published or updated, whether the links are functional, and if the information seems outdated or obsolete.
đŻ Relevance: Does It Fit Your Needs?
Relevance examines how well the information meets your assignment requirements or research topic. It is essential to ensure that the information aligns with your needs and is appropriate for the intended audience. Important questions to ask include whether the information is related to your topic, who the intended audience is, and whether the information is too technical or overly simplified for your purpose.
đ©âđ« Authority: Who Created the Information?
Authority refers to the credibility and expertise of the author, creator, or publisher of the information. It's important to verify that the author is qualified to write about the topic by investigating their credentials, past works, and whether their work is frequently cited by other experts. Key questions to ask include who the author is, whether they are an expert, the reliability of the publisher, and if their credentials can be found online. Additionally, checking whether the authorâs work is cited by other experts can provide insight into their credibility.
đ Accuracy: Is the Information Reliable?
Accuracy focuses on whether the information is supported by credible evidence and peer-reviewed by experts. Peer-reviewed sources are considered more reliable as they have been vetted by experts in the field. Questions to consider include whether the information is backed by credible evidence, whether it has undergone peer review, whether the tone is unbiased, whether the citations support the author's claims, and whether the information aligns with what other experts in the field say.
đŻ Purpose: Why Was the Information Created?
The final criterion, purpose, examines the main reason or rationale behind the information. Different types of sources can have various purposes, such as to inform, educate, persuade, or entertain. For academic purposes, itâs essential to seek information that aims to educate or inform. Important questions include why the author created the information, whether there is bias or prejudice, if alternative perspectives are provided, and the overall tone of the information.
đč Using the CRAAP Test in Practice
Julia concludes the video by mentioning that another video demonstrates how to apply the CRAAP test to evaluate two online sources. She encourages viewers to check the video linked in the description and invites them to reach out to the library for any questions regarding the CRAAP test or evaluating information sources in general. Contact methods include email or live chat through the Eastern Gateway Community College library website.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄCRAAP test
đĄCurrency
đĄRelevance
đĄAuthority
đĄAccuracy
đĄPurpose
đĄPeer-reviewed sources
đĄBias
đĄCredentials
đĄURL
Highlights
Introduction to the CRAAP test
CRAAP test criteria for evaluating information quality
Definition of currency in the CRAAP test
Importance of currency in rapidly changing fields
Questions to ask about currency
Definition of relevance in the CRAAP test
Determining if information fits assignment requirements
Questions to ask about relevance
Definition of authority in the CRAAP test
Evaluating the author's credibility and expertise
Questions to ask about authority
Definition of accuracy in the CRAAP test
Reliability of information and peer-review
Questions to ask about accuracy
Definition of purpose in the CRAAP test
Determining the main reason for the information
Questions to ask about purpose
Practical application of the CRAAP test in another video
How to contact EGCC library for further questions
Conclusion and thanks for watching
Transcripts
Hi I'm Julia, a reference and instruction librarian at Eastern Gateway Community College. Â
In this video, I'm going to review the CRAAP test and what it is used for. Â
The CRAAP test provides criteria to evaluate information for quality, credibility, Â
and usefulness. CRAAP stands for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose. Â
We're next going to review all of these criteria in more detail, as well as some questions you Â
should ask yourself as you evaluate an information source. Currency is how current or timely the Â
information is. If you're working in a field where information changes rapidly, such as technology Â
or science, it is especially important to have up-to-date, current information. Ask yourself: Â
does your topic require current information? When was the information published or last updated? Â
Are the links functional? Does the information seem out of date or obsolete?
Relevance is how well the information fits your assignment requirements or research topic. This Â
will of course depend on what kind of assignment or research you are doing. Ask yourself: Â
does the information relate to your topic? What kind of audience is the information intended for? Â
Is the information written in a way that is too technical or too simplified?
Authority relates to the credibility and expertise of the author, creator, and publisher of the Â
information. You will want to ensure that the author is qualified to write about the topic. Â
You can determine this by investigating the author's credentials, Â
past published works, and reviewing how often other experts cite their work. Ask yourself: who Â
is the author of the information? Is the author an expert? Does the publisher seem reliable? Â
Can you find information about the author's credentials online? Do books or articles Â
on the same subject cite this author's work? Does the URL reveal anything about the source?
Accuracy coincides with the reliability of the information, such as whether the information Â
has been reviewed by experts and is supported by credible evidence. Peer-reviewed sources Â
are more accurate and reliable since they have been vetted by experts in the field. Â
Ask yourself: is the information supported by credible evidence? Has the information Â
been peer-reviewed? Does the language or tone seem unbiased? Do the citations and references Â
support the author's claim? Does the information match what other experts have to say on the topic?
Finally, we have purpose. Purpose is the main reason or rationale for the information. Depending Â
on what kind of information you need, you may be looking for websites or other information sources Â
with various purposes, such as to inform, educate, persuade, or entertain. For academic assignments, Â
you generally will want information that is meant to educate or inform the audience on a topic. Â
Ask yourself: why did the author create this information? Is there obvious bias or prejudice Â
present? Are alternative perspectives given? And what is the overall tone? Â
In another video, I show you how to use the CRAAP test to evaluate two online information sources. Â
There is a link to that video in this video's description. If you have any questions about Â
the CRAAP test or about evaluating information sources in general, please reach out to us via Â
email or chat live with a librarian on the EGCC library website. Thanks for watching!
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