Evaluating Internet Resources Prepared by Jennie Zakaryan August 7, 2005

Introduction Courtesy of P. Steiner, New Yorker, 1993 The Internet is a virtual library, consisting of an unlimited amount of information. Anyone is allowed to publish and access this information. Furthermore, the sites are created for a variety of purposes: to inform, persuade, sell and change an attitude or belief. The sites are not edited, regulated or approved. All of these factors remind us that information that has been published is not necessarily accurate. Get in the habit of checking for some key pieces of information when you find a promising article (or other information) on the Web.

You will have to determine if the information is reliable by yourself, and the CRAAP Test can help. The CRAAP Test is a list of questions to determine if the information you have is reliable. Please keep in mind that the following list is not static or complete. Different criteria will be more or less important depending on your situation or need.

CRAAP test components Currency: The timeliness of the information Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs Authority: The source of the information Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the informational content Purpose: The reason the information exists

Currency When was the information published or posted? Has the information been revised or updated? Is the information current or out-of-date for your topic? Are the links functional? Secondhand Smoke: The Big Lie (questionable information at time of publication)

Relevance Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question? Who is the intended audience? Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?

Authority Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor? Check domain ownership: www.easywhois.com Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given? What are they? What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic? Look for other publications by the author or publisher: Amazon.com Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address? Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?           Examples: .com, .edu, .gov, .mil, .org, .net*

Accuracy Where does the information come from? Is the information supported by evidence? Can you verify any of the information in another source or from your own personal knowledge? Does the language or tone seem biased and free from emotion? Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors? Cancer information at the National Cancer Institute (balanced) Institute for Historical Review (biased; hate site) Not Just Another Scare (biased; undocumented claims)

Purpose What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade? Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear? Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda? Does the point of view appear objective and impartial? Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases? Ex.: www.Google.com, (find a website about Martin Luther King)

Conclusion In conclusion, it is fair to say that although knowledge is power or that information (the raw material of knowledge) is power, the truth is that only some information is power: reliable information. You have to be critical and discriminating in selecting and using the information from the Internet.