Use the CRAAP test to evaluate online resources, checking for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose. Search engines have large, constantly growing databases while subject directories contain a limited number of pre-selected webpages on specific topics. When evaluating online resources, consider how the site looks, what information can be learned from it, who created the content, and what ensures the safety of the site. Identifying the purpose of a website's information and distinguishing between .com and .gov domains can aid research.

1. Use CRAAP when
evaluating an online
resource.
Currency
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose
Search Engine vs Subject Directory
Both
 used for research
 search by keywords
Search Engine
 Database that are constantly growing
 Ever expanding
Subject Directory
 Subject and purpose specific
 Limited number of webpages
Questions to ask when
looking at anonline resource
1. How does itlook?
2. What did you learn?
3. Who put theinformation
there?
4. What tolookforto make
sure it isa safesite?
Identify the purpose of a
websites information first.
Methods to help search
Dot com and Dot gov