PSYC 110 Introduction to Psychology I: Psychobiology and Cognition (Atlanta)

Questions to ask:

• Have you used a variety of sources?
  • Compare and contrast the information you find with several authors and and array of sources such as books, Emory dissertations, journal articles, and studies.
  • Comparing and contrasting the information will help you in identifying any bias and enhance the validity and reliability of your research.

• What are the author's qualifications and affiliation (i.e., where does the author work)?
• What is the date of the publication? Is the information out-of-date for your topic?
• Who's published it? Is it a university press -- in which case the material is more likely to be scholarly -- or a well-known publisher? Is it a website? Find information on who owns the site at WhoIs.net

How do you know if a source that you find is research paper quality?

Try putting it through The CRAAP Method of Evaluating Information, a series of questions developed by librarians at California State University, Chico.

This test is designed to work for all information sources, including Web sites.

Click here to find the complete CRAAP Test pdf - just one page!

The acronym CRAAP stands for:

Currency: The timeliness of information.

Relevance: The importance of information for your needs.

Authority: The source of the information.

Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the information content.

Purpose: The reason the information exists.