In the modern information-age, anyone can share opinions, articles, images, etc. online and claim what they want about any number of topics. There is no entity that exists that could possibly verify everything found in print or on the web for accuracy. So, it is up to us – as information consumers – to determine whether the information that is presented to us daily is reliable.
There are several methods for determining whether a source is reliable, the most tried and true one being…
CRAAP is, of course, an acronym that stands for: Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. While the methods of examining sources have changed over the years, the aforementioned factors have always been essential to determining the most reliable and informative sources, whether they be articles, scholarly journals, books, websites, blogs, documentaries, social media posts, and so on.
Currency – To determine currency, check to see when your source was published. If the article or book you’re looking at is old, or the website you’re on hasn’t been updated in a whole, there’s a good chance that the information there, even if accurate at the time, is out of date. It’s also important to note that different fields develop and publish research at different rates. A history site from several years ago might still be accurate, but a science-based site might already be out of date especially if it wasn’t updated within the last five years.
Relevance – To determine relevance, ask yourself: What is this source trying to claim? Does the information make sense to you, or do you find it hard to believe? Is it reporting information, or arguing a certain position? Are there any other sources that cite this information or make similar claims? If it’s advocating a certain point of view, what do other perspectives say on the topic?
Authority – Who authored this source? An individual, or an organization? What are their qualifications for writing on this topic? If the source doesn’t provide this information, see what you can find on the web. In regard to the publisher: if it’s from a university press, scholarly journal, or government organization, you an assume that the information has been peer-reviewed. If it’s a website, check the URL, if it’s a .org, .gov, .edu. or .us site then the information may be more reliable.
Accuracy – What reasoning and evidence does this source provide to back its claims? Expert testimony? Data or statistics? Personal experience or analogies? Examine the methodology used to collect this evidence. When examining how evidence was collected, try to keep in mind any point of view or agenda its authors may have had.
Purpose – Remember, all sources have a point of view and will, whether intended or not, reflect those who created them. Is there a political, ideological, personal, cultural, or religious bias present? Is the source trying to sell you something, like a product or ideology? Why does this source exist and who does it exist for?
If you want to see the CRAAP Test in action and learn more about evaluating resources found on the web, watch the video below:
Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work as if it were your own, whether you mean to or not. "Someone else’s work" means anything that is not your own idea, even if it is presented in your own style.
It includes material from books, journals or any other printed source, the work of other students or staff, information from the Internet, software programs and other electronic material, designs and ideas. It also includes the organization or structuring of any such material.
To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use
Section III. Proscribed Conduct
Class A Violations
A) A person who is found guilty of any of the following acts committed while a student on a University campus or on property controlled by a University or University affiliates or in connection with off-campus University activities shall be subjected to the maximum penalty of expulsion or any other penalty authorized herein.
1. Academic misconduct including all forms of cheating and plagiarism. Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to providing or receiving assistance in a manner not authorized by the instructor in the creation of work to be submitted for academic evaluation including papers, projects and examinations; and presenting, as one's own, the idea or works of another person or persons for academic evaluation without acknowledgment.
Plagiarism offenses result in disciplinary proceedings!
For more information, consult the WCSU Student Handbook.
There are many academic-specific and library-specific terms and phrases that you’ll encounter throughout your entire academic career. There are so many, in fact, that it can be hard to keep track of! Below are some common terms, and their definitions, that you’ll come across during undergraduate and graduate level research.
For a more extensive list check out – The USC Library’s Glossary [downloadable]
For an even more extensive list of terms check out – The Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science (ODLIS) by former WCSU Librarian, Joan Reitz.
Abstract: A summary or brief description of the content of another longer work. An abstract is often provided along with the citation to a work.
Bibliography: A list containing citations to the resources used in writing a research paper or other document. See also Reference.
Boolean operator: A word—such as AND, OR, or NOT—that commands a computer to combine search terms. Helps to narrow (AND, NOT) or broaden (OR) searches.
Catalog: A database (either online or on paper cards) listing and describing the books, journals, government documents, audiovisual and other materials held by a library. Various search terms allow you to look for items in the catalog.
Circulation: The place in the library, often a desk, where you check out, renew, and return library materials. You may also place a hold, report an item missing from the shelves, or pay late fees or fines there.
Citation: A reference to a book, magazine or journal article, or other work containing all the information necessary to identify and locate that work. A citation to a book includes its author's name, title, publisher and place of publication, and date of publication.
Course reserve: Select books, articles, videotapes, or other materials that instructors want students to read or view for a particular course. These materials are usually kept in one area of the library and circulate for only a short period of time.
Database: A collection of information stored in an electronic format that can be searched by a computer.
DOI: Acronym for Digital Object Identifier. It is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by the publisher to a digital object.
Journal: A publication, issued on a regular basis, which contains scholarly research published as articles, papers, research reports, or technical reports. See also Periodical.
Magazine: A publication, issued on a regular basis, containing popular articles, written and illustrated in a less technical manner than the articles found in a journal.
Peer-reviewed journal: Peer review is a process by which editors have experts in a field review books or articles submitted for publication by the experts’ peers. Peer review helps to ensure the quality of an information source. A peer-reviewed journal is also called a refereed journal or scholarly journal.
Periodical: An information source published in multiple parts at regular intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, biannually). Journals, magazines, and newspapers are all periodicals.
Primary source: An original record of events, such as a diary, a newspaper article, a public record, or scientific documentation.
Reference: 1. A service that helps people find needed information. 2. Sometimes "reference" refers to reference collections, such as encyclopedias, indexes, handbooks, directories, etc. 3. A citation to a work is also known as a reference.
Secondary sources: Materials such as books and journal articles that analyze primary sources. Secondary sources usually provide evaluation or interpretation of data or evidence found in original research or documents such as historical manuscripts or memoirs.
Subject heading: Descriptions of an information source’s content assigned to make finding information easier.
Virtual reference: A service allowing library users to ask questions through email, text message, or live-chat as opposed to coming to the reference desk at the library and asking a question in person. Also referred to as “online reference” or “e-reference.”
Definition: An original record of events, such as a diary, a newspaper article, a public record, or scientific documentation.
Examples:
Definition: Materials such as books and journal articles that analyze primary sources. Secondary sources usually provide evaluation or interpretation of data or evidence found in original research or documents such as historical manuscripts or memoirs.
Examples:
Over your academic career you’ll come across the need for different kinds of sources. It can be challenging to determine the kinds you need for your project as well as the differences between them.
Often, when writing a research paper, you’ll be tasked with finding scholarly sources to support your topic. But what is a scholarly source, how does it differ from a popular one, and how can you tell the difference?
Scholarly Sources are authored by academics, experts in their field of study, usually affiliated with a college or university and are intended to be read by academic audiences such as professors, researchers, and students. Said sources are published by a scholarly press or organization and have a narrow scope or is limited to a specific field of study with the goal of promoting scholarly research. These sources have been edited by other experts in the field before publication, you’ll see them referred to as peer reviewed.
Popular Sources may or may not have an author listed, if there is then they are usually a journalist or freelance writer. These sources are usually published by for-profit entities like magazines or newspapers, while they may include verified facts, they may not list their references or include a bibliography. These sources are meant to be read by a broad, general audience and does not require their authors or readers to be experts in the field. Popular sources are edited by other journalists and while these sources can be informative, their primary goal is to make a profit based on “clicks” or purchase.
Popular Sources are not inherently worse than Scholarly Sources! They are different kinds of sources that require different levels of evaluation before including them in an assignment. It is important to be able to tell the difference and be able to evaluate each kind for your purposes.
IMPORTANT! Keep an eye on the descriptions of your assignments, it is not uncommon for professors to list a certain number of required scholarly sources to receive full marks on an assignment!
