For this assignment find 10 sources related to your research question. Choose 5 that are ONLY WEBSITES and 5 that are ONLY ACADEMIC SOURCES. Use the CRAP test described below to evaluate them in the provided chart.
The CRAP Test
To evaluate sources more effectively, ask yourself the following questions:
Currency
How recent is the information?
How recently has the website been updated (if website)?
Is it current enough for your topic?
Reliability
What kind of information is included in the resource?
Is content of the resource primarily opinion?
Does the creator provide references or sources for data or quotations?
If a website, what is the URL (.gov, .com, .biz, .edu, .org, .net)? What does this tell you?
What does the design of the source tell you? Is it full of errors, disorganized, or is the writing of poor quality?
Authority
Who is the creator or author?
What are the credentials? Is she/he a recognized expert in the topic?
Have other authors referred to this work (positive citations)?
Who is the publisher or sponsor? Are they reputable?
What is the publisher’s interest (if any) in this information?
Are there advertisements on the website?
Purpose
Is the source trying to persuade you to do something or think in a certain way?
If so, does it include factual information to back up its opinions?
What might be the potential biases of the source?
Why was the document or website created, and who is its intended audience?
Is the creator/author trying to sell you something?
Use these questions to evaluate your chosen sources and fill in the charts provided
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EvaluatingSourcesinstructions.docx
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