The document discusses how to evaluate information sources for reliability. It introduces CARRDS, a tool for evaluating credibility, accuracy, reliability, relevance, date, source, and scope/purpose of information. Questions are provided for each element of CARRDS to help determine if a source is trustworthy enough to be used. The document also discusses how to use domain suffixes to gauge the validity and potential bias of a source. Sources like .edu and .gov are generally reliable while .com may have built-in bias and .org could be biased towards the organization.

1. Evaluating
Information
Sources

2. The Web and print
sources (ex. books,
magazines,
newspaper) provide
billions of pieces of
information.

3. Unfortunately not all
are reliable, relevant
accurate, unbiased,
or up-to-date.

4. Therefore before
being used,
information should
be evaluated.

5. A useful tool of
evaluation is
CARRDS.

6. C CREDIBILITY
A ACCURACY
R RELIABLITY
R RELEVANCE
D DATE
S SOURCE
S SCOPE & PURPOSE

7. CREDIBILITY – The quality and capacity of belief.
Who is the author?
What are his or her credentials?
Education? Experience?
What evidence is offered of his or her
knowledge?

8. ACCURACY – Freedom from mistake and error.
Can facts, statistics, or other information be
verified through other sources?
Do there appear to be errors on the page
(i.e., spelling, grammar, facts)?

9. RELIABILITY – The extent to which a source
gives the same information as other sources.
Does the source present a particular view
or bias?
Is the information affiliated with an
organization that has a particular political
or social agenda.

10. RELEVANCE – The relationship to the focused
topic or question.
Does the information directly support the
thesis or help to answer the question?
Can it be eliminated or ignored because it
simply does not help?

11. DATE – The time at which an information source
is published or produced.
Does this project need current, up-to-date
information?
When was this Web page created?
When was it last updated?

12. SOURCE – A primary reference work or point of
origin.
Is the information based on primary or
secondary sources?
Did the author document his or her sources?
What kind of links or further reading did the
author choose?

13. SOURCE & PURPOSE – The range of information
on a given topic and the reason behind its
creation.
Does this source address the thesis in a
comprehensive or peripheral way?
Is it material that can easily be read and
understood?

14.  These questions should be
posed each time a research
source is considered.
 If the source does not pass
any element of the
CARRDS test, it should
not be used.

15. The free Web is the part of the Web
that is accessible by search engines.
A search engine is an
information retrieval system. It is the
most common tool used to locate
information on the Web.
Search engines help to minimize the time
required to find information and the
amount of information which must be
consulted.

16. Examples of Search Engines
A search engine is often free and so you get what
you pay for……it is sometimes not trustworthy.
Examples:
AltaVista
Infoseek
Google
Yahoo
Excite
Dogplie
Lycos

17. Another strategy designed for
evaluating Web content is to
examine the end or suffix of the
domain name.
This helps to:
1. gauge the validity of the
information and
2. gauge any potential bias.

18. The suffix identifies who
the source of
information is and,
therefore, what their
purpose is in conveying
that information.

19. Examples of Domain Suffixes
.com – A commercial site. Purpose to sell a product or service. May
have a built-in bias that you must be aware of.
.biz – A business that could be trying to sell a product or service.
May have built-in bias.
.edu – A school, university, museum, or educational site. Normally
reliable.
.gov – A U.S. government site. Normally reliable.
.int – An international institution. Normally reliable.
.mil – A U.S. military site. Normally reliable.
.museum – A museum. Often reliable
.name – An individual Internet user. Not reliable and may have bias
.net – A network service provider, Internet administrative site.
.org – An organization, often non-profit. These sites can provide
accurate information, but usually have bias.
.pro – A professional’s site.
~ (tilde) or % – A personal site that varies in its credibility