The CRAAP test is a checklist created by the Meriam Library at California State University, Chico used to evaluate Web resources for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, & purpose.

http://www.justfacts.com
  • Currency: This site provides no information regarding when it was last updated & does not clearly display publication dates for its articles and information.
  • Relevance: This site provides an “appropriate breadth and depth of detail” about topics concerning current events and world news.
  • Authority: This site provides citations for most of its information as well as their own credentials in their “About Us” section. The URL also matches the content.
  • Accuracy: The site provides accurate information seemingly pulled from reliable sources, some peer-reviewed. Links to external resources and sources are provided when possible.
  • Purpose: This site provides its purpose for the viewer under their “About Us” section through their mission statement: “to research and publish verifiable facts about the leading public policy issues of our time“.
http://www.factcheck.org
  • Currency: This site provides publication dates for the majority of its articles and information. An up-to-date copyright statement is also located at the bottom of the website page.
  • Relevance: This site provides an “appropriate breadth and depth of detail” about topics concerning current events and political news.
  • Authority: This site provides the names of the authors and publishers for each article. It is also transparent in who their sponsors are with a financial breakdown easily accessible.
  • Accuracy: This site provides citations underneath all available articles. The site is very professional and well designed and covers a wide-range of topics and viewpoints.
  • Purpose: This site provides its purpose to the viewer under their “About Us” section through their mission statement: “We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.“