One of the greatest benefits of using the Internet to conduct research is that users have access to an enormous amount of information on a wide variety of topics. However, all information is not created equally. Anyone with a computer and Internet connection can publish on the Web. Because of this, there are no standards to control the quality of information that is available via the Internet. Therefore, it is up to individual researchers to determine the quality of the sources that they use in their research.
Use the CRAP test to evaluate the quality of the information you find on the Internet:
Currency
Is there a copyright or last updated date? How frequently is the website’s content updated? Are the links active?
Reliability
Does the website provide sources/references that can be used to verify the information published on the site? (Look for a bibliography.) Is the website’s content biased or balanced?
Authority
Who is responsible for the content of the website? The “author” may be an individual, a company, or an organization—what are the author’s qualifications/credentials? Do you consider the author an “expert” on the subject? Is contact information provided? Does the site have a sponsor?
Purpose/Point of View
What is the purpose of the website (e.g., to convey facts, to persuade, etc.)? Does the site advertise any products or services? What’s the domain (e.g., .com, .edu., .gov, etc.)? Who is the intended audience?