Is what you have located relevant and reliable? Are you uncertain whether to use the information you have found? You should always critically evaluate what you find.
When evaluating information you can use the CRAAP test:
Check the publication date. How current should the information be? Do you need information published in the last five years? Or are older, seminal works suitable? Are recent developments considered?
Does the information found answer your question? Do you understand the content and is it at the right level for your purpose?
What are the author's qualifications? Are they appropriate and from a university, research institute, or government department, etc.?
Is evidence given for the research undertaken? Can you verify the information through other sources? Is a bibliography or reference list included? Are arguments supported with independent evidence? What types?
Is it trying to communicate research? Or persuade or sell something? Does it expressing an opinion? Or is it balanced and objective?
The following video contains advice on how to evaluate information critically, including an overview of the CRAAP test.
Video length: 3 min 17 sec
Key points from the video:
Other aspects of the source to consider include:
Audience: Is it intended for a general audience or someone familiar with the research in the subject?
Authors: What are their qualifications (e.g. advanced degree with years researching)?
Content: Is the content within your research scope? Is it what you are looking for?
Language: Is it of a higher level language and does it use discipline-specific terminology?
Peer review: Is it peer reviewed? Most books and articles are peer reviewed, before being accepted, as part of the publishing process. However, be careful because there are some publishers who simply publish what they are given. For example, they will take a thesis and re-badge it as a book without any editorial intervention.
Publisher: Is the publisher reputable (see 'peer review' tab)?
References: Are in-text citations and references given? Can you easily follow them up?
At university, you are expected to use quality sources, including scholarly sources. For some assignments, you may be required to use only articles from peer reviewed journals.
Peer review is one accepted measure of quality. So, if you are unsure about the quality of an article, checking whether the journal it was published in is peer reviewed is a good place to start. If the journal is peer reviewed, you can be confident that the article is scholarly.
Video length: 3 min 15 sec
More help:
Research articles: Contain original (empirical) research; therefore, they are considered primary sources of information.
Review articles: Contain a critical evaluation or appraisal of studies within a particular field; therefore, they are considered secondary sources of information. Review articles can include literature reviews, scoping reviews or systematic reviews.
Tips to identify a research article:
Explore more about different review types in the Searching For Your Literature Review Guide.
The following video describes scholarly sources and peer review.
Video length: 2 min 22 sec
More support:
Being able to read and critically think about information you find is key to understanding the content and making informed judgments about it.
You cannot assume that everything published is accurate, good quality, and the best evidence.
Visit the Study Skills resources on the Study Help online hub to learn more. The sections on reading and listening, and note-taking skills include helpful resources on critical thinking.
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