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John B. Coleman Library Ask A Librarian

ENGL 1302: Freshman Composition II: Spring 2024: Evaluating Resources

The CRAAP Method

Currency: 

  • When was the content published?
  • Does it reflect current available information?

Relevance

  • Does the information pertain to what you are asking?

Authority 

  • Who is the author or publisher?
  • What are the author or publisher's credentials?

Accuracy

  • Where is the information from?
  • Does the evidence support the conclusion?
  • Has it been peer reviewed?

Purpose

  • What is the purpose of the article?
  • Is it objective and impartial?

SIFT Method

Developed by Mike Caulfied, the SIFT Method allows you to quickly make decisions if a source is worthy of your attention. 

Materials adapted by Creative Commons License. 

Stop:

Ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Do you know and trust the author?
  2. Do you know and trust the publisher or publication?
  3. Do you know or trust the website?

Check to see if the information is both verifiable and reliable. 

Investigate the Source

Know the expertise and agenda of the source. 

Check other sites to see what others are saying about the claims being made. 

Open multiple tabs as you investigate the source. 

Verify. 

Check to see what the expert consensus seems to be. 

 

Trace the claim, quote, or media back to the original context.

Look for the original context to determine if what you read or saw was accurately presented. 

How to Evaluate Sources

Use the SIFT Method to Evaluate a Source

John B. Coleman Library
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