L3: Evaluating Sources Flashcards
What are the two kinds of sources?
Primary and Secondary
These sources are original and first hand information. They are also reports of scientific discoveries, experiments, and research results in social sciences.
Primary Sources
These are examples of what kind of sources: diaries, journals, government documents, photographs, interviews, speech transcriptions, surveys, paintings, literary writings, and scientific publications of experiments.
Primary Sources
These sources are second-hand accounts of events, interpretations, and analyses of creative or scientific works.
Secondary Sources
What kind of sources are these examples: biographies, journal articles on the historical, cultural, political, or social importance of particular subjects, article reviews, and research publications on the significance or analysis of scientific or political experiments or surveys?
Secondary Sources
What are the Big 5 criteria to evaluate sources?
Currency
Coverage (Relevance)
Authority
Accuracy
Objectivity (Purpose)
What do the Big 5 criteria help evaluate?
Credibility of sources
Big 5: What is the meaning of currency?
Check the publication date and determine whether it is sufficiently current for your topic.
Big 5: What is the meaning of coverage (relevance)?
Consider whether the source is relevant to your topic and whether it covers the topic adequately for your needs.
Big 5: What is the meaning of authority?
Discover the credentials of the author of the source and determine the level of expertise and knowledge about the topic.
Big 5: What is the meaning of accuracy?
Consider whether the source presents accurate information and whether you can verify the information.
Big 5: What is the meaning of objectivity (purpose)?
Think about the author’s purpose in creating the source and consider how that affects its usefulness to your topic.
What is the meaning of CRAAP?
Currency
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose
CRAAP: What is the meaning of currency?
Timeliness of the information
CRAAP: What is the meaning of relevance?
Importance of the information for your needs.
CRAAP: What is the meaning of authority?
Source of information.
CRAAP: What is the meaning of accuracy?
Reliability, truthfulness, correctness of the content
CRAAP: What is the meaning of purpose?
Reason why the information exists
CRAAP for Websites: What is the meaning of currency?
A helpful site is updated regularly and lets visitors know when the content was published on the site. Can you tell when the site was last updated? Can you see when the content you need was added? Does the site show signs of not being maintained such as broken links and out-of-date information?
CRAAP for Websites: What is the meaning of relevance?
Think about the target audience for the site. Is it appropriate for you or your paper’s audience?
CRAAP for Websites: What is the meaning of authority?
Look for the About Us link or something similar to learn about the site’s creator. The more you know about the credentials and mission of a site’s creators, as well as their sources of information, the better idea you will have about the site’s quality.
CRAAP for Websites: What is the meaning of accuracy?
Does the site present references or links to the sources of information it presents? Can you locate these sources so that you can read and interpret the information yourself?
CRAAP for Websites: What is the meaning of purpose?
Consider the reason why the site was created. Can you detect any bias? Does the site use emotional language? Is the site trying to persuade you about something?
