Critical Thinking About Sources

This video uses the following criteria - which are similar to the CRAAP test.

1. Objective Language
2. Corroboration 
3. Origin
4. Evidence & References
5. Mechanics 

Ask yourself the following questions about each website you're considering:

Currency: Timeliness of the information

• How recent is the information?
• Can you locate a date when the page(s) were written/created/updated?
• Are the links functional?
• In regards to your topic, is it current enough?

Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs

• Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
• Is the information at an appropriate level (not too elementary or advanced)?
• How does it compare with other sources you have looked at?

Authority: The source of the information

• Can you determine who the author/creator is?
• Is there a way to contact them?
• What are their credentials (education, affiliation, experience, etc.)?
• Is there evidence they're experts on the subject?
• Who is the publisher or sponsor of the site?

Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness and correctness of content

• Is it arranged logically and consistently?
• Has it been either peer reviewed or cited elsewhere?
• Can you verify any of the information in another source?
• Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
• Are there spelling, grammar or other typographical errors?

Purpose / Point of View: The reason the information exists

• Based on the writing style, who is the intended audience? 
• What's the intent of the website (to persuade, to sell you something, etc.)?
• What is the domain (.edu, .org, .com, .gov etc.)? How might that influence the purpose/point of view?
• Are there ads on the website? How do they relate to the topic being covered (e.g., an ad for ammunition next to an article about firearms legislation)?
• Is the author presenting fact or opinion?
• Who might benefit from a reader believing this website?

By scoring each category on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 = worst, 10=best possible) you can give each site a grade on a 50 point scale for how high-quality it is!

45 - 50 Excellent | 40 - 44 Good | 35 - 39 Average | 30 - 34 Borderline Acceptable | Below 30 - Unacceptable

Five Criteria* to Determine if a Website is Credible:

Whether searching for school, work or personal reasons, all of us can say we have encountered websites that led to false information. When browsing recreationally, this is not so much of an issue; however, when it is important that the information you seek is factual and credible there are some things to be on the lookout for.

Accuracy - The author or entity that created the content should be crystal clear. This is usually presented in a "About Us" or "Mission" section of the website. Additionally, there should be a way to contact the author/organization. If it cannot be determined who or what generated this content, it is probably because they do not want you to know.

Authority - The credentials / expertise of the author or organization should be available. Further, sources should be listed that describe where any "facts", graphs or statistical information is coming from. Sometimes here it is helpful to search within .edu, .org or .gov domains.

Objectivity - Does the site provide true content or is it just an “ad”? Is the content objective and unbiased? Note: It's not that a biased website contains false information; rather, it does not present both sides of the story. When first trying to ascertain the facts of something, it's important to be presented with balanced content.

Currency - When was the last time the website was updated? If there are dead links or obviously outdated content, this should be a sign that this website is not being properly maintained.

Coverage - Is there a balance of text vs images? Are there citations that could lead to additional information on the topic? In other words, you should not be asked to pay for content or install any software out of the ordinary to view the website.

*Compiled by Kapoun, Jim. "Teaching undergrads WEB evaluation: A guide for library instruction." C&RL News (July/August 1998): 522-523.

On Campus Users:

No configuration is necessary. When you conduct a search within Google Scholar, articles that can be linked to full text will have a "Molloy Full Text" hyperlink at the right of the results as illustrated below:

Off Campus Users:

You can connect via the instructions in the GET IT FAST box  or use the GoogleScholar searchbox provided on this guide. You can also manually configure Google Scholar on your home computer or laptop in a few simple steps:

Once you are in Google Scholar, click on the three vertical lines in the far left, then the gear icon for Settings or just go here

1. Scroll to where you see Library Links and enter Molloy then click the Find Library Button
2. Put a check in all available resources as indicated below
3. Additionally, under the Search Results/Bibliography Manager, you can Show Links to Export Into: RefWorks. Note: You must be have a RefWorks account in order for the export feature to work, as it will ask you to sign in. 
4. Click SAVE to apply your changes

Setting Additional Preferences: While in the Scholar preferences, you may also want to take a moment to set the Search Language to English and if desired, 

1. Test your settings. Conduct a sample search. Links to Molloy should appear to the right, links to ProQuest and RefWorks appear below the citation as indicated in the first screenshot above. Didn't work? Use the methods indicated in the GET IT FAST box on the right.

DOMAIN NAMES 

The last three letters of a web address reveal the content of the web site.

Domain Names are registered.   To read more about domains and who registers them, check the site for the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority at: http://www.iana.org/

To check who maintains a particular web site, go to:

"The Web zine www.scambusters.com is an action alert network that digs up dirt on Net and telecommunications fraud, ranging from "services" that charge astronomical prices for domain name registration to con artists who partner with  Caribbean-based companies to rake in crooked pay-per-call  charges. "

http://register.com/ allows you to search by a web address to verify the contact and issuing organization information. Check the domain name you'd like to verify. Click on the "taken" button; click on  "to access the WHOIS information", and you will get a complete description of who is behind the page.

Finding Credible Websites Using Advanced Google Search

For whatever reason, google has deliberately chosen to hide the advanced search link as well as its own help page that describes Advanced Search Tips.

• Go into Google.com and enter Google Advanced, or just go here.
• Enter your search terms. Note that you can search by exact phrase, all words or any words. You may even exclude words if you like.
  • For the purposes of this demonstration, enter the keywords: gun control
• In Search within a site or domain, limit it to an: .edu
• Scroll to the bottom and click on the plus sign next to: Date, usage rights, numeric range, and more. Narrow the date by choosing from the drop down: within the last year
• Click the Advanced Search button on the bottom right.
• Note that all of the results are from .edu's (educational institutions) and the content also has been updated within the last year.

• Google is a great teacher as well - note that it is clear how the search instructions were modified in the search box above. From here, modify the search to look for only government sites by simply changing .edu to .gov.
• Now the search box looks like this:

• Now, Google will only return government websites that contain the words gun control AND were updated within the last year.

As you modify anything in the advanced search screen, you can see how it is modified within the basic Google search box. After a while you'll become an expert on typing your advanced searches in right from the basic search box! Click search below, to give it a try!