Evaluate Your Sources!
Remember to always evaluate all your sources! You want to make sure you are picking high quality, credible sources. Reviewing your sources using the C.A.A.R.P. guidelines will help you evaluate the currency, authority, accuracy, relevance, and purpose of the information you find.
Text Version of C.A.A.R.P. Test
C.A.A.R.P. TEST
DOES THIS RESOURCE SMELL A LITTLE FISHY?
Picking the right sources is a key step to creating a high-quality research paper or presentation. Choosing resources is easier when you evaluate them with the C.A.A.R.P. guidelines.
Currency:
Currency guidelines vary depending on the topic. A literary analysis from five years ago may still be relevant, but a science research article published at the same time may be out of date.
- When was the information written or posted?
- Has the information been revised or reposted?
- Is this resource timely for your topic?
- Are there newer resources that are more appropriate?
Authority:
Authority is contextual. A good author for one topic may not be an expert in a different topic.
- Who is responsible for this information? Is there an identified person or organization?
- Is the author an expert on this particular topic?
- What are the author’s qualifications and affiliations?
- Can you independently verify (e.g., do an internet search) the author’s credentials?
Accuracy:
The information should be correct and verifiable.
- Does the resource provide citations?
- Can you verify the information in the resource from the citations or other sources?
- Is the resource peer-reviewed?
- Do the information and tone seem unbiased and free from emotion?
Relevance:
The resource fits your topic and is written to the right audience.
- Is the information about your topic? Does it support your thesis?
- Have you looked at a variety of other resources before deciding which ones are the best fit?
- Who is the intended audience for this resource?
- Is the resource written at the right level (e.g., the coverage is not too shallow or too in-depth)?
Purpose:
The purpose is the reason the information exists.
- Is the purpose of the information to inform, teach, entertain, persuade, or sell?
- Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda?
- Is the information objective or biased?
These guidelines have been adapted from the Meriam Library at California State University.
Developed by digital learning expert Mike Caulfield at the University of Washington, the SIFT Method teaches students how to think and search like a fact checker.
