Use critical thinking to decide when information is useful, trustworthy, and relevant.
Searching and locating information sources is only one part of the research process. An equally important part is being able to tell if the sources you've located are trustworthy, appropriate, and authoritative.
Source evaluation is along sliding scale; not black or white, good or bad. While there are some sources a majority will agree are "good" or "bad" most information falls somewhere in between these two extremes and it's up to YOU to make a final decision.
How you use information will determine if it is "good" or "bad." For example, I may share a BuzzFeed article with my friends but I wouldn't cite it in a research paper.
The CRAP Test asks you to evaluate information sources across four dimensions: Currency, Reliability, Authority, and Purpose. Below each dimension are some questions to ask about your source as you evaluate it. At the bottom of the page you'll find links that explain some of these concepts in more detail.
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