SPE151 Introduction to Speech

Before you set out to evaluate a source and decide if it's useful for your research needs, you need to know what kind of source you have. Knowing more about your source can help you evaluate it. Is it a popular source like a newspaper article written by a journalist? Or is it a scholarly source with original research that was written and reviewed by experts?

Once you've identified what kind of information you have, you're ready to evaluate it. All information should be evaluated, even scholarly sources. Just because you have a scholarly source doesn't mean it's the right one for your information need!

Methods of Evaluating Information

There are many ways to evaluate a source. You should use what works best for you and the type of source you have. Here are three examples of how to evaluate a source.

SIFT Method

Uses: online formats, popular sources

SIFT stands for Stop, Investigate the Source, Find Better Coverage, and Trace Back to the Original Source. It's a series of steps you'll take to learn more about the source by going outside the source to evaluate it.

Think about the following as you investigate the source to help you determine if it's trustworthy:

• Why does the information exist? To sell something? To influence? To share research or information?
• How is the author qualified to write on the topic?
• What evidence does the author cite to back up the claims being made?
• What other information can you find on this topic?

Evaluating the source itself is a good start, but it only gives us a narrow view of it. It's important to look beyond the source to get the full picture.

The CRAAP Test

Uses: Print formats; scholarly or formal sources (print or online) like journal articles, books, or reports.

The CRAAP test is an acronym and uses the following criteria to evaluate a source:

• Currency: When was the information published? Does it have historical value or do you need something more current for your assignment?
• Relevance: How does the source help you answer your question or meet your information need?
• Authority: Who wrote the information and how are they qualified to write on the topic?
• Accuracy: Who reviewed the information before it was published? What evidence does the author cite? Can you verify the information in other reliable sources?
• Purpose: Why does the information exist? To sell something? To influence? To share research or information?

SCARAB

Similar to the CRAAP test, this rubric created by the MCC Library provides a checklist of criteria to evaluate your source. SCARAB is an acronym that stands for Substance, Currency, Authority, Relevance, Accuracy, and Bias.