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POLI 345: International Organizations

Evaluating Information and Sources

When doing research it's always important to evaluate the information and the sources that we find. A good way to do this is to use the CRAAP test outline below and to make sure that the academic articles have been peer-reviewed.

CRAAP Test

Currency
  • When was the information created?
Relevance
  • Does the information relate to your topic? Who is the target audience?
Authority
  • Who created the information? Who published the information: publisher, journal, website?
Accuracy
  • Is the information supported by evidence? Has it been reviewed? Is it unbiased?
Purpose 
  • What is the purpose of the information? Why is the information being published?

Peer-review Process

Researcher/professor writes an article

  • Submits it to a scholarly journal
  • The article is evaluated by the editorial board of the journal
  • Is is then evaluated by other specialists in the field
  • Recommendation of changes   
  • The article is published

How to Determine if it’s Peer-Reviewed:

  • Consult academic journals
  • Peer-review option in databases and the catalogue
  • Consult the website of the journal

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