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ENGL 1712 Taylor: Evaluating Online Sources

What does it mean to evaluate information?

To evaluate information means to recognize whether or not the information you've found is credible. You already make these evaluations every day, by asking a friend who likes camping where you should go for the weekend, or by watching the meteorologist on the morning news who you think gives the most accurate forecast. Perhaps without realizing it, you are constantly making decisions about what (and whose) information you find useful. This guide will show you how to break down that decision-making process and use it to evaluate new information both inside and outside of the classroom.

Learning to properly evaluate information not only saves you time and effort in research, it allows you to more effectively engage with the world around you. It allows you to see information in context: to think critically about the source and purpose of information, and to consider how it interacts with ideas and facts you already know.

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What is an Authoritative Website?

One of the greatest things about the internet is that anyone can make a website, and one of the most challenging things about the internet is that anyone can make a website! It can be hard to tell if a website is trustworthy, or "authoritative."

When it comes to determining if a website is authoritative, think of it as permission to be the nosy little kid you've always wanted to be. Keep asking "why?" and "says who?" until you get an answer that makes sense to you. 

Start by looking for the page author’s qualifications—do they have expertise in the subject matter? Next, check the domain; sites ending in .edu or .gov often indicate reliable sources. Also, consider the organization behind the website—are they well-known and respected in their field? Look for signs of peer review or editorial oversight, which can boost credibility. Does it feel like the website wants something from you (money, to be shared on social media, etc.?) Finally, see if the site is frequently updated and linked to by other reputable sources. By playing detective with these clues, you can confidently choose trustworthy websites for your research! 

How to Evaluate Sources

In 2025, most of the information you'll come into contact with will be something you read on the internet. Evaluating your sources means recognizing whether that online information is accurate, reliable, and useful to your research. This can be difficult, but this page will provide you with a system that helps to simplify the process. 

This system is called CRAAP:

  • Currency: the timeliness of the information
  • Relevance: the importance of the information to your research
  • Authority: the source of the information
  • Accuracy: the reliability and correctness of the information
  • Purpose: the reason the information exists

Below, you'll learn how each of these elements contributes to source evaluation. 

  Why? Questions to ask yourself:
Currency To determine if the date of publication is recent enough for your research. 
  • When was this information published or posted?
  • Are the references and/or links current?
  • Is it important to your research that your sources are current? Why or why not?
Relevance To determine if this information will be beneficial to your research. 
  • What aspect of your research question(s) does this information address?
  • Who is the intended audience? 
  • Does this source provide me with a new perspective or piece of information?
  • Is it too general or technical?
Authority To determine if the creator of the information has the knowledge and experience necessary to write about this subject in this specific context. 
  • Who is the author/publisher/source?
  • What are the author's credentials and organizational affiliations? Have they published on this topic before?
  • What clues does the URL give you about the publisher?
  • How does this publisher relate to this topic? Are they subject-only or do they publish a wide variety of material?
Accuracy To determine whether or not the information provided is supported by evidence. 
  • How was this source reviewed before it was published (peer review, an editorial board, etc.)? In other words, who looked at this information and said, "it looks good to me," before it was published or posted?
  • Does the article align with other articles on the topic?
  • Does this information contain spelling errors, grammar mistakes, or overuse punctuation???
  • Does the information seem complete, or is it missing facts or other points of view?
Purpose To determine why this information was created, why the data were compiled, or why this story is being told. 
  • Does the point of view seem objective or impartial? 
  • Is the language used meant to provoke anger or outrage?
  • What is the purpose of this information? To persuade, to entertain, to teach, to inform? (If the answer is "persuade," how will the author or publisher benefit by getting you to agree with them?)
  • Do you sense a personal, political, or religious bias?