Not all information is created equal!
Just being in print or available via the Internet doesn't guarantee that something is accurate or good research. When searching the Web, it's important to critically evaluate your search results:
Look for articles published in scholarly journals
or sources that require certain standards or criteria be met before publication.
Look for materials at Web sites that focus on scholarly resources
(e.g. Google Scholar)
Compare several opinions
by scholars in your topic field, which is another way to verify or evaluate your sources.
Consult your instructor.
Some things to consider in evaluating the quality of research sources:
Currency: the timeliness of the information
Reliability: importance of the information
Authority: the source of the information
Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the information
Purpose: the reason the information exists
The CRAAP Test was developed by librarians at California State University, Chico.
How can you tell the difference between a scholarly and popular article?
Scholarly or Peer-Reviewed Articles
Popular Magazines and Newspapers Articles
For even more detailed help see our
Distinguish between Scholarly and Popular Journals guide.