WHAT IS THAT ?
 

the CRAAP test has been designed for people who want to evaluate the contents found online, it is very useful even if the businesses do this test on their contents on the company website, or in any case if they use a similar model to evaluate the contents, it is a good test for  further evaluate the quality of a website , for the users who visit it.

Below you will find some criteria and questions you need to ask yourself; they are useful to independently evaluate the contents of any site:

• CURRENCY : When was the information published? It has never been updated  or correct? You need this information, or need to be supplemented by more notions  recent? Are the links inserted still working?

• RELEVANCE : Does the information relate to your question? To whom yes  addresses? It is adequate for your level of knowledge (for example, it is neither too much  simple nor too complex)? Did you evaluate other sources before choosing this one?  Would you cite this source in your work?

•   AUTHORITY  : Who posted this information and who is the author? Which  are the credentials of whoever published and / or wrote? The author has the skills  do you qualify to write about the subject? There are contacts to communicate with  the author? Does the URL reveal information about who is publishing (.com, .edu, .gov,…)?

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• ACCURACY  : Where does the information come from? There is evidence or sources brought to  support of the thesis supported? Was the information quoted verbatim or reworked? Can you check the information elsewhere? Is the tone used free from opinions and feelings? Are there any typos, punctuation or grammar errors?

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• PURPOSE  : What is the purpose of the article / writing? It is informing, teaching, selling,  to entertain or persuade? Does the author make his purpose clear? Can information be categorized as fact, opinion or propaganda? Is the point of view objective and impartial?

Often the purpose can be guessed from the relevance of the information and an authoritative text can collapse when it is not supported by any evidence. Everyone is advised to apply common sense and rationality, even when we do not like what we find.

Sometimes the problem is not the prejudices of the writer, but ours.