How to Research: A Tutorial

Evaluating websites

Once you’ve found a website, you must carefully evaluate it to determine if it is appropriate for college-level research. You can perform a quick scan of the website first before you even start reading, and then do a more thorough evaluation to determine if the content is appropriate for your assignment.

Evaluate your sources using the criteria below to ensure they are not CRAAP*.

• Currency
  • When was the website created or last updated?
  • Is the information current or out-dated?
  • Are the links on the website functional?
• Relevance
  • Does the information relate to your topic or help you prove your thesis?
  • Is the website appropriate for college-level work?
• Authority
  • Who is the author? What are his/her credentials or qualifications for writing about this topic?
  • Who published the website? Is it sponsored or published by a recognized organization?
  • Does the URL indicate what type of website this is? (.com; .gov; .edu; .org; .net)
• Accuracy
  • Where does the information come from? Are references or a bibliography provided?
  • Can you verify the information through other sources?
  • Is there evidence or links to other sources to support the information on the website?
  • Are there spelling errors, grammatical errors, or typos?
• Purpose
  • What is the purpose of the information? To inform, persuade, teach, entertain, or sell?
  • Who is the intended audience? What group of people is the website meant to attract?
  • What is the mission or goal of the author or sponsoring organization?
  • Is the information objective and impartial? Are there any biases or prejudices evident?

*This is a modified version of the CRAAP test originally created by Meriam Library, California State University, Chico.