CRAAP Test

Evaluating Websites Using the CRAAP Test

It’s common knowledge that the Internet can be a powerful source of information however, on the , it can also be a powerful unreliable source of information. Students and researchers nowadays need to learn how to use critical thinking skills to evaluate resources to ensure that they are selecting trustworthy data. The CRAPP Test is a helpful tool to use to easily achieve this.  

The CRRAP Test looks at five major areas: currency, relevance, reliability, authority and purpose. When determining whether a website is credible or not, evaluate it on those five areas. Here are a few suggestions to help you think through your evaluation process:

Currency: the timeliness of the information

  • When was the information published or posted?
  • Has the information been revised or updated?
  • Is the information current or for your topic?
  • Are the links functional?

Relevance: the importance of the information for your needs

  • 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)?
  • Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
  • Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?

Authority: the source of the information

    • Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
    • Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
    • What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations ?
    • What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
    • Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
    • Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?
      examples: .com (commercial), .edu (educational), .gov (U.S. government),
    .org (nonprofit organization), or .net (network)

Accuracy: reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content

  • Where does the information 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?
  • Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
  • Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?

Purpose: the reason the information exists

  • 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?

By scoring each category on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 = worst, 10=best possible) you can give each site a grade on a 50 point scale for how high-quality it is!

45 - 50 Excellent | 40 - 44 Good | 35 - 39 Average | 30 - 34 Borderline Acceptable | Below 30 - Unacceptable

Note: all credit for the CRAAP test goes to the librarians who developed it at CSU Chico.