Sociology Research Guide

This guide will help sociology researchers find quality links to information from websites from organizations, universities, and dependable sources.

Social Sciences Librarian

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Ashley Howdeshell

Comprehensive Sources

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The CRAAP Test

The CRAAP test was originally developed to help researchers evaluate web sources, but the criteria work equally well for both print and electronic materials:

Currency
The timeliness of the information.

Relevance/Coverage
The depth and importance of the information.

Authority
The source of the information.

Accuracy
The reliability of the information.

Purpose/Objectivity
The possible bias present in the information.

For each item you have found, judge it using the above criteria. And ask yourself: Who wrote it? Does the author have any biases? What is the tone? Does the work cite other sources? How old is this material?

*the CRAAP test was developed at the Meriam Library at California State University Chico

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