You probably do informal research daily, but when you make decisions about products or strategies that may impact the safety of your data, you need to incorporate more formal research. Good decisions are based on good information. High-quality information is unbiased, up-to-date, and builds on previously known information. Basing decisions on low-quality information automatically lowers the quality of your work and makes any conclusions you draw seem questionable.
You need to evaluate every potential source before you use it. This can be a difficult and lengthy process, but the C.A.A.R.P. test gives you a simple 5-factor framework to use:
Currency: Recently published information is informed by the full range of research on your topic. If two resources are similar, choose the newer one. Computer information changes rapidly, so use resources for the most recent version of your software whenever possible. How recent your information needs to be depends on the topic. Coding information may be good for several years or even longer, depending on your project. If you are looking into cybersecurity threats, you may need to limit your research to information that is just days old.
Authority: If the author is not an expert (advanced degree and/or works in that field), the source is less credible. Google the author to try to find their credentials and work background. This technique is called lateral reading and is often used by professional fact-checkers. Watch the short video below to learn more about lateral reading and how to apply it.
Authority has to be reviewed by lateral reading whenever you evaluation an organization or a company. Have you ever seen a company website that tells you how mediocre that company is? You need an evaluation by a neutral party, such as an industry or news website.
Accuracy: Is someone other than the author evaluating the information before publication to make sure it is correct and the conclusions the author draws are valid? Credible websites give you information about their editorial standards. If you use resources that do not have this, you will personally need to evaluate the information for accuracy. Companies selling a product do not have editorial standards, so you will need to evaluate what they post yourself. This can be harder to do if your potential sources do not have a reference list. If you use social media as a source, remember that popularity does not correlate with accuracy. You will need to personally validate social media information by checking it against credible sources.
Relevance: You want sources that are the best fit for your topic and are written at the right level for what you need. Give preference to resources that focus on your topic rather than just mention it.
Purpose: Be careful about biased sources. You are looking for sources that inform rather than persuade or try to sell a product. An easy way to find more neutral sources is to use library databases, government sites, or credible educational websites. If you are looking to purchase a product, check the cost and features of several similar products before making a decision.