Instructors often tell students they can't use Wikipedia as a source, but sometimes don't give any reason why not. We hope the resources listed on this page will shed some light on the benefits and disadvantages of Wikipedia.
When deciding whether to use information from a website, whether it be a .com, .edu, or anything else, you must critically evaluate that information for authenticity and relevance.
Who is it by?- Who is the author of the information? Is it a corporation or business? Is it a researcher in the field? Is it a layperson? Finding out who is posting the information is critical to deciding whether or not the author is an authority on the subject.
Who is it for?- Who is the intended audience? Is the information intended for children, general readers, shoppers, etc?
When?- How old is the information you are looking at? Do you need information that is relatively recent or is older information okay?
How much?- How extensive is the information presented? Is the topic covered in-depth, or is it just a sub-topic of more general coverage. How does the topic coverage compare to other websites on the same topic? Are there links to more information? Do the links go to other parts of the website or do they go to outside websites?
Why?- Why is the author posting this information? There are several possible reasons, including to:
Are you considering using a website for a research assignment?
Not all websites are appropriate for academic research and you need to examine them carefully in order to determine if the information is accurate, credible, and supports your research assignment.
Websites can be created by anyone and facts, images, and videos can be easily altered, have to be carefully evaluated for use in your research assignments. Also be sure to ask your instructor if they will accept a website as a source for your research assignment.
There are countless websites available on various topics, but how do you determine what websites are the best to use? There are four main questions you want to ask yourself when critically examining a website in order to determine if it is appropriate for your research assignment:
WHO created the website?
WHAT type of website is it and what is the website's domain?
WHEN was the information on the website last updated?
WHY was the website created?
C.R.A.A.P. is short for
C. Currency
R. Reliability
A. Authority
A. Accuracy
P. Purpose/Point of View
Applying the C.R.A.A.P. Test is one way to evaluate the quality and value of a source (book, article, website, etc.) before you start writing. The quality of your final research project is related to the quality of the sources you use. Check out this useful handout on how to use the C.R.A.A.P. test for evaluating sources.