Key Terms: Source Evaluation
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ABSTRACT
A short summary at the beginning of an academic article describing the research question, methods, and key findings. Reading the abstract is a fast way to assess relevance before committing to the full article.

ACADEMIC DATABASE
A curated collection of peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, and scholarly publications. Examples include JSTOR, PubMed, and Google Scholar. More reliable than general web search for finding vetted research.

ACCURACY (CRAAP)
One of the five CRAAP criteria. Asks whether the information is supported by evidence, whether claims can be verified elsewhere, and whether the methodology (if research) is sound.

ALGORITHM
A set of rules used by a search engine or social media platform to decide what content to show you. Algorithms optimize for engagement rather than accuracy, which means high-engagement misinformation can spread faster than low-engagement facts.

AUTHORITY (CRAAP)
One of the five CRAAP criteria. Asks who created the information, what their credentials are, and whether they are recognized as knowledgeable in this area.

BIAS
A systematic tendency to favor certain perspectives, conclusions, or groups over others. Bias in a source is not always intentional or deceptive, but it shapes what information is included, emphasized, or left out.

CITATION
A formal reference to a source that gives credit to the original author and allows readers to find the original work. Citation also creates accountability — a cited claim can be checked against its source.

CONFIRMATION BIAS
The tendency to seek out, favor, and remember information that confirms what you already believe. Affects both how sources are chosen and how they are interpreted.

CRAAP TEST
A five-criterion framework for evaluating sources: Currency (how recent), Relevance (how applicable to your topic), Authority (who created it), Accuracy (is it supported by evidence), and Purpose (why it was created). Originally developed at California State University, Chico.

CURRENCY (CRAAP)
One of the five CRAAP criteria. Asks how recently the source was published or updated, and whether recency matters for the topic. A ten-year-old source on programming languages may be outdated; a ten-year-old source on ancient history may not be.

DISINFORMATION
False or misleading information that is deliberately created and spread with the intent to deceive or manipulate. Different from misinformation, which may not be intentional.

MISINFORMATION
False or inaccurate information that is spread regardless of intent to deceive. The person sharing misinformation may genuinely believe it is true.

PEER REVIEW
A process in which academic work is evaluated by other experts in the same field before publication. Peer-reviewed sources have been scrutinized for methodological soundness and factual accuracy, making them more reliable than non-peer-reviewed sources.

PRIMARY SOURCE
Original, firsthand material: a research study, a historical document, a dataset, an interview, or an original work of art. Primary sources have not been interpreted or filtered by someone else.

PURPOSE (CRAAP)
One of the five CRAAP criteria. Asks why the source was created — to inform, persuade, sell, entertain, or advocate. Understanding the purpose helps identify potential bias.

RELEVANCE (CRAAP)
One of the five CRAAP criteria. Asks whether the information actually relates to your research question and whether it is at the appropriate level for your audience.

SECONDARY SOURCE
A source that interprets, analyzes, or summarizes primary sources. A news article about a study, a textbook chapter, or a documentary are secondary sources. Useful for context but should be checked against the primary source.