journal critical thinking

CRAAP​ ​Criteria​ ​for​ ​Evaluating​ ​Research Currency​:​ ​Is​ ​the​ ​information​ ​properly​ ​current?

● When​ ​was​ ​the​ ​information​ ​published,​ ​posted,​ ​gathered,​ ​or​ ​created? ● Has​ ​the​ ​information​ ​been​ ​revised​ ​or​ ​updated? ● Does​ ​your​ ​topic​ ​require​ ​current​ ​information,​ ​or​ ​will​ ​older​ ​sources​ ​work? ● Are​ ​any​ ​web-links​ ​functional?

Relevance​:​ ​Is​ ​the​ ​information​ ​specifically​ ​valuable​ ​to​ ​your​ ​needs?

● Does​ ​the​ ​information​ ​closely​ ​relate​ ​to​ ​your​ ​topic​ ​or​ ​answer​ ​your​ ​question? ● Who​ ​is​ ​the​ ​intended​ ​audience? ● Is​ ​the​ ​information​ ​presented​ ​at​ ​an​ ​appropriate​ ​level? ● Have​ ​you​ ​looked​ ​at​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​sources​ ​before​ ​deciding​ ​on​ ​this​ ​one? ● Does​ ​it​ ​seem​ ​appropriate​ ​to​ ​cite​ ​this​ ​source?

Authority​:​ ​Does​ ​the​ ​information​ ​come​ ​from​ ​proper​ ​expertise?

● Who​ ​is​ ​the​ ​author,​ ​publisher,​ ​source,​ ​or​ ​sponsor? ● What​ ​are​ ​the​ ​the​ ​author’s,​ ​authors’,​ ​or​ ​organization’s​ ​credentials? ● What​ ​affiliations​ ​does​ ​the​ ​source​ ​have? ● Is​ ​the​ ​author​ ​qualified​ ​regarding​ ​this​ ​topic? ● Is​ ​there​ ​sufficient​ ​contact​ ​information​ ​available​ ​from​ ​the​ ​research? ● What​ ​do​ ​any​ ​URLs​ ​indicate?​ ​(.edu,​ ​.gov,​ ​.org,​ ​.com)

Accuracy​:​ ​Is​ ​the​ ​information​ ​reliable,​ ​truthful,​ ​correct?

● Where​ ​does​ ​it​ ​come​ ​from? ● Is​ ​the​ ​information​ ​supported​ ​by​ ​evidence? ● Has​ ​the​ ​information​ ​been​ ​reviewed​ ​or​ ​refereed? ● Can​ ​you​ ​verify​ ​any​ ​of​ ​the​ ​information​ ​in​ ​another​ ​source​ ​or​ ​from​ ​personal​ ​knowledge? ● Is​ ​the​ ​information​ ​presented​ ​in​ ​way​ ​that​ ​is​ ​free​ ​of​ ​fallacies,​ ​rhetoric,​ ​bias,​ ​emotion,​ ​etc.? ● Are​ ​there​ ​compositional​ ​errors​ ​in​ ​the​ ​writing?

Purpose​:​ ​Why​ ​does​ ​the​ ​information​ ​exist​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​place?

● Is​ ​the​ ​purpose​ ​to​ ​inform,​ ​teach,​ ​sell,​ ​entertain,​ ​persuade,​ ​etc.? ● Do​ ​the​ ​authors​ ​or​ ​sponsors​ ​make​ ​their​ ​intentions​ ​clear? ● Is​ ​the​ ​information​ ​fact,​ ​opinion,​ ​propaganda,​ ​etc.? ● Does​ ​the​ ​point​ ​of​ ​view​ ​appear​ ​objective​ ​and​ ​impartial? ● Are​ ​there​ ​political,​ ​institutional,​ ​ideological,​ ​cultural,​ ​or​ ​personal​ ​biases?