FAQ: How do I evaluate a source by its authority?

Evaluating a source by authority means that you are asking: Does the author have expertise on the topic about which he/she is writing?

When considering authority, ask yourself

• Who is the author? Is he or she a subject expert on the topic? What are the author's credentials?
• Is the source sponsored or published by a reputable organization or institution?
• Is the author the original creator of the information?

Where should you look to determine the authority of a source?

Print & Database Sources 

• Examine or look up the author's credentials and affiliations
• Try to find more sources written by the author(s) and examine them - are they scholarly?
• Look for the author's contact information
• Examine the publisher's credentials

Websites

• Examine or look up the author's credentials and affiliations
• Try to find more sources written by the author(s) and examine them - are they scholarly?
• Look for the author's contact information​
• Examine the domain extension (i.e. .com, .edu)

What to avoid:

• Authors who have no credentials or affiliations, no expertise on the topic
• Personal websites. These are usually indicated by the text (e.g. "Personal Homepage Of..."), by specific characters in the web address (e.g. the use of a tilde ~), or by a username in the web address (e.g. ~jsmith).

The C.R.A.A.P. Test was created by Sarah Blakeslee (University of California at Chico, Meriam Library). With her permission, this content was based off her original text with some modification.