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Research Guides
Western Carolina University

Communication 201: Foundations of Communication

This guide is designed to help students researching for their informative & persuasive speeches in COMM 201.

Evaluating Sources

When you find a source you want to use in your research project it's important to evaluate the source.

In this set of tabs you will see a variety of questions to use as you evaluate your sources.

You don't need to go through every question, but it is a good idea to look over the questions and think about them as you read through and use your sources.

  • Who wrote this?
  • Can you even tell?
  • Are they an authority on this topic?
  • Credentials are important, but first-hand accounts are also important.
  • Most importantly: who stands to benefit if you believe this source?
  • What kind of resource is this?
  • Is it an advertisement?
  • Newspaper article?
  • Scholarly research article?
  • Also, what kind of information does it present?
  • Does the content accurately match up with what you already know about this topic?
  • And another thing: are there a bunch of advertisements, either related or unrelated to the topic of the article?
  • How up-to-date is the information?
  • And how soon after an event was this published? (We've all seen false reports and misinformation happen shortly after major events like school shootings.)
  • Also, how up-to-date do you need the information to be?
  • Looking for reviews of classic movies that came out shortly after the cinematic debut versus critical acclaim that came years later can make a big difference.
  • Country of origin?
  • How different is the information provided by CNN versus BBC versus Al-Jazeera?
  • Also, where is this information in relation to the structure of the website? Is it on the front page? Is it buried?
  • What's the purpose of the source?
  • Is it trying to sell you something?
  • Convince you of something?
  • Share facts?
  • Also, why are you looking at this source? Entertainment? Medical research? Academic need?

Evaluate sources using CRAAP test

The CRAAP test is designed to help you look at a piece of information (book, article, website, etc.) and ask questions that will determine if it is the right source for you. The test is broken down here in multiple tabs so you can look at each element on its own.

Currency - The timeliness of information

Relevance - The importance of the information for your needs

Authority - The source of the information

Accuracy - The reliability of the content

Purpose - The reason the information exists

  • When was the information published or posted?
  • Has the information been revised or updated? 
  • Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well? 
  • Are the links functional?
  • Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question? 
  • Who is the intended audience? 
  • Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
  • Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use? 
  • Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research paper?
  • Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor? 
  • What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations? 
  • Is the author qualified to write on the topic? 
  • Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address? 
  • Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?
    • examples: .com .edu .gov .org .net
  • Where does the information come from? 
  • Is the information supported by evidence? 
  • Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
  • Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge? 
  • Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion?
  • Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors?
  • What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade? 
  • Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear? 
  • Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda? 
  • Does the point of view appear objective and impartial? 
  • Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases?

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