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Research Tutorials & Videos (Credo Instruct): Module 4: Evaluating Information

CREDO Module 4

Evaluating Information

Web Evaluation Basics

There are several similar ways to remember the criteria for evaluating websites. Click on the Title of each for more explanation and a PDF handout.

CRAAP (Cal State Universiy-Chico)

  • Currency
  • Relevance
  • Authority
  • Accuracy
  • Purpose

5 Questions (Univ. of California, Berkeley
Click here for a checklist.  

  • What can the URL tell you? (domain, publisher)
  • Answer these questions- scan perimeter of page (about us, philosophy, background, biography, currency, credentials, etc.)
  • Look for indicators of quality information (links, documentation/footnotes, credibility)
  • What do others say? (linking pages, listed in a reputable directory, what others say about the author)
  • Does it all add up? (why was page put on web, purpose, is this as reliable as resource as you would find in a library?)

Evaluating Multiple Types of Sources

Is Everything on the Internet?

cartoon of a dog on computer telling another dog, "On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog."