💻 TechnologyGrade 5Lesson 5
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Evaluating Sources & Credibility

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Learning Objectives

  • 1Apply the CRAAP test to judge a source
  • 2Recognize credibility signals like author, date, and citations
  • 3Spot warning signs of weak or biased information
  • 4Cite the source whenever you use someone else’s ideas
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Mini Lesson

The internet is full of information — some of it solid, some of it shaky. Smart researchers do not just believe the first result they see. They ask: who wrote this, when, and why? Evaluating sources is how you separate facts from rumors, opinions, and ads.

The CRAAP Test

A simple checklist to size up any source. Run a page through these five filters before you trust it.

  1. Currency — is the page recent enough for the topic?
  2. Relevance — does it actually answer your question?
  3. Authority — who is the author, and what makes them qualified?
  4. Accuracy — are there citations or sources you can check?
  5. Purpose — is it informing, selling, or persuading?

Strong Signals (trust this)

  • A clear author with credentials, or a known organization behind it.
  • A recent date and updates that match the topic.
  • Sources, links, or citations you can follow back to evidence.
  • A domain like .gov, .edu, a major library, or a peer-reviewed journal.
  • Calm, measured language — not all-caps headlines or angry rants.

Warning Signs (slow down)

  • No author listed, or only a username with no profile.
  • No date, or a date so old the facts may have changed.
  • Sensational headlines like "DOCTORS HATE THIS" or "you won’t BELIEVE…".
  • No links, citations, or way to check the claims.
  • A page that mostly wants to sell you something or push one opinion.
The CRAAP TestThe CRAAP TestCCurrencyIs it recent?RRelevanceDoes it fit your question?AAuthorityWho wrote it?AAccuracyAre claims sourced?PPurposeInform or persuade?
Trusted vs Warning SignalsTrusted vs Warning SignalsTRUSTED+ .gov or .edu site+ Named expert author+ Recent date listed+ Citations included+ Calm, factual toneWARNING! No author shown! Opinion-only blog! No date anywhere! Anonymous claim! Sensational headline
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Tip: cross-check any surprising claim in two more places before you share it. If only one site says it, treat it as a rumor, not a fact.

Vocabulary
credibility
How trustworthy a source is, based on author, evidence, and accuracy.
source
Where a piece of information comes from — a person, site, book, or study.
bias
A leaning toward one side that can twist how facts are presented.
citation
A note that points readers to the original source you used.
peer-reviewed
Checked by other experts in the field before being published.
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← Lesson 4: Online Research: Keywords & FiltersLesson 6: Creative Commons & Citations →