Skip to Main Content
RESEARCH GUIDES ACC Home Page

EDUC 1300 - Effective Learning: Strategies for College Success: Choosing the best sources

Guide to library resources for students taking the EDUC 1300 course

The SIFT Method

Use these SIFT skills employed by many fact checkers to determine if a news source or claim is factual and trustworthy.  Stop! Do NOT read or share the source you found until you know what it is. Ask yourself whether you know and trust the website or source of information. Avoid getting lost in the “click cycle.” Investigate the source. Use Google or fact checking websites to learn more about the source of information. Fact checking websites like: Snopes.com, factcheck.org, Politifact.com, AP Factcheck "Find better coverage. If you source you found seems to be quoting from another article or other source, find the multiple trustworthy sources of information. Check out the media bias chart! If you’re not sure what coverage is trust worthy- look at a variety to see what the consensus is. Trace claims back to the original source to confirm facts and context.

Evaluating Information

For more about evaluating your sources and the CRAAP criteria, see the Evaluating Information tutorial.

 

Is it CRAAP?

What is CRAAP?
CRAAP is a set of criteria designed by California State University, Chico to help you find the best sources for your school work. It is a good starting point for evaluating sources for academic purposes like papers, reports and speeches.

Is it CRAAP?
Use the following rubric to help you choose sources for your paper or other school work.

The CRAAP Test - check for currency, relevancy, authority, accuracy and purpose

Created by Austin Community College Library Services, 2017.

Be skeptical of all sources that you find whether online or in print. Use CRAAP or your own personal criteria to find sources that are appropriate for your purpose. Your criteria for sources for academic work may be very different than your criteria for sources for personal use. It all depends on the situation.

ACC Web Site || Library Web Site || GET HELP! || Search the Library
Contact Us • © Library Services, Austin Community College