Question

Yes/No

Tips

C
urrency: The timeliness of the information

Was the information
published or

updated recently?

yes

For a news article, check the date it was published. For a website,

check the copyright date or “last updated” date.

Is the information
recent enough
for your topic?

yes

For topics like current events or new research, it’s important to use up-to-date sources. For other topics, like history, older

sources may also work.

If using a website, do the
links work?

yes

A website with broken links might be outdated.

R
eliability: The accuracy and truthfulness of the information

Is the information supported by

evidence
like data or quotes? Are there

references
for the evidence?

If the source references a research study, try to find out more about the study. Make sure the study was valid and represented

accurately.

Does the source make
reasonable claims
about what the evidence shows?

Some sources may overgeneralize the results of a study. Check where the study was done, how many individuals it tested, if it used humans or animals, etc. If the study used animals, for

example, its results may not apply to humans.

Has the information (or its references)

been
reviewed?

Be wary of information from a study that was not published in a

peer-reviewed journal.

Can you
confirm the information
using another source or your own knowledge?

Trust your judgment and be wary of claims that have been shown

to be false by a trustworthy source, such as an educational or government website.

Does the language or tone seem

unbiased and professional?

Avoid sources that use opinionated or biased language, or are

poorly written with spelling and grammar errors.

A
uthority: The source of the information

Is the author, publisher, or sponsor of the information a
trustworthy source, such as an educational or government

institution?

If you’re using a website, check the domain in the URL. In the United States, websites with the domain .edu are owned by educational institutions, and those with the domain .gov are

owned by the government.

Is the author
qualified
to write on the

topic?

Check the author’s credentials/qualifications to see how

experienced they are with the topic.

Is the author likely to be
unbiased
about

the topic?

Check the author’s background and organizations they work with

to see if they may have biases or conflicts of interest.

Is there any
contact information?

Avoid sources without an email, publisher address, etc.

P
urpose: The reason the information exists

Is the purpose of the information to

teach or inform, rather than to sell, entertain, or persuade?

Avoid sources that are just trying to sell products, get more views, or push a personal agenda. If there are any advertisements, they

should be clearly marked as such.

Is the information
fact, rather than

opinion or propaganda?

The information should be objective, meaning that it uses facts

instead of personal opinions or emotions.

Does the source’s point of view seem

unbiased?

Be wary of sources that have political, ideological, cultural,

religious, institutional, or personal biases.

Article title

Date published or

last updated

Is this date recent enough

for your topic? Explain.

Publisher or sponsor

Is the publisher/sponsor trustworthy? What are

their basic values?

What domain does the URL use?

Generally trustworthy: Can be owned by anyone:

.gov .edu .com .net .org

Does the site’s name

match the URL?

Yes No

Are ads on the website (if

any) clearly marked?

Yes No

Author of the article

What are the author’s credentials/qualifications?

What is the author trying to do?

Inform Persuade Present an opinion

Sell something Entertain

What affiliations or conflicts of interest are mentioned?

Does the author seem objective (uses facts, not opinions)?

Explain.

Yes No

Does the author give references for data or quotations?

Criteria

3 points

2 points

1 Point

0

Summarize the article

The article is clearly and accurately summarized. Two details from the article are used to support the main idea. Any direct quotes are accurately cited and explained.

The article is clearly and accurately summarized. Only one detail from the article is used to support the main idea. Any direct quotes are accurately cited and explained.

The summary is inaccurate or unclear. No details from the article are used to support the main idea. Direct quotes are not accurately cited and/or explained.

The summary is missing.

Decision on trustworthiness of article

The explanation of your decision is clear, well-written, and accurate.

The explanation of your decision is mostly clear and accurate.

The explanation of the decision is inaccurate.

The explanation is missing.

Evidence: Currency

The decision on the currency of the article is accurate. Specific evidence from the article is used to back up your conclusion and is explained clearly.

The decision on the currency of the article is accurate. However, the evidence used to back up the conclusion is unclear.

The decision on the currency of the article is accurate. However, no evidence is cited to back up the conclusion.

Currency is not discussed.

Evidence: Reliability

The decision on the reliability of the article is accurate. Specific evidence from the article is used to back up your conclusion and is explained clearly.

The decision on the reliability of the article is accurate. However, the evidence used to back up the conclusion is unclear.

The decision on the reliability of the article is accurate. However, no evidence is cited to back up the conclusion.

Reliability is not discussed.

Evidence: Authority

The decision on the authority of the article is accurate. Specific evidence from the article is used to back up your conclusion and is explained clearly.

The decision on the authority of the article is accurate. However, the evidence used to back up the conclusion is unclear.

The decision on the authority of the article is accurate. However, no evidence is cited to back up the conclusion.

Authority is not discussed.

Evidence: Purpose

The decision on the purpose of the article is accurate. Specific evidence from the article is used to back up your conclusion and is explained clearly.

The decision on the purpose of the article is accurate. However, the evidence used to back up the conclusion is unclear.

The decision on the purpose of the article is accurate. However, no evidence is cited to back up the conclusion.

Purpose is not discussed.

Article Impact Statement

The response explains how the research described in the article relates to or impacts society in general. At least one detail from the article is clearly explained to support the impact statement.

The response explains how the research described in the article relates to or impacts society in general. At least one detail from the article is provided, but the relationship to the impact statement is unclear or inaccurate.

The response provides a general statement of how the article relates to or impacts society in general, but the statement is unclear or inaccurate. No supporting details from the article are used.

The impact of the article is not described.

Mechanics and grammar

Written response is free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. The style of writing facilitates the reader’s understanding of the response.

Written response is mostly free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. The style of writing facilitates the reader’s understanding of the response.

Written response contains numerous grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. The style of writing generally facilitates the reader’s understanding of the response.

The written response contains numerous grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors that make it difficult for the reader to understand the response.

CRAP Test Form

The CRAP test form is completed and submitted with the written assignment.

The CRAP test form is incomplete or is not submitted.