Gingrich Library: Religion and the Senses; FYS: Is it Trustworthy?

Evaluating Your Materials : Are they Credible or Not Credible?

The C.R.A.A.P test is a way to evaluate a source based on the following criteria: Currency, Reliability, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose/Point of View. Below are some questions to help you think about how to measure each of the criteria.

Currency

How recent is the information?
How recently has the website been updated?
Is it current enough for your topic?

Reliability

What kind of information is included in the resource?
Is content of the resource primarily opinion? Is is balanced?
Does the creator provide references or sources for data or quotations?

Authority

Who is the creator or author?
What are the credentials?
Who is the published or sponsor?
Are they reputable?
What is the publisher's interest (if any) in this information?
Are there advertisements on the website?

Accuracy

Are there citations to the sources of the information?
Are these sources reputable?
Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors?

Purpose/Point of View

Is this fact or opinion?
Is it biased?
Is the creator/author trying to sell you something?

Video:

Boise State University--Amy Vecchione (2015)

Scholarly vs. Popular

Characteristics	Scholarly Journal	Popular Magazine
Length	Articles are usually 10 pages or more in length; providing in-depth analysis of topics	Shorter articles (less than 10 pages), providing broader overview of topics
Written by	Author usually an expert or specialist in the field, name and credentials always provided	Author usually a journalist or a staff writer, name and credentials often not provided
Language/Written for	Written in technical language for professors, researchers, students of the field	Written at high school level for the general public
Coverage	Original research results and scholarship	Popular topics and current events
Slant	Supposed to present objective/neutral viewpoint;	May reflect the editorial bias/slant of the magazine
Frequency	Usually quarterly	Usually weekly
Format/Structure	Articles usually structured, may include: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, bibliography	Articles do not necessarily follow a specific format or structure
Special Features	Illustrations that support the text, such as, tables of statistics, graphs, diagrams, maps, or photographs	Illustrations with glossy paper or color photographs
Appearance	Serious and sober, with few colors and few or no advertisements	Glossy, with pictures and advertisements
Editors	Articles usually reviewed and critically evaluated by a board of experts in the field (known as refereed or peer-reviewed)	Articles are not reviewed by experts in the field, but by editors on staff
References Cited	Usually includes a bibliography and/or footnotes	Usually has no bibliography or footnotes
Examples	Material Religion Ecology Social Science Quarterly American Political Science Review	Time Newsweek Sports Illustrated Scientific American