Image by vectorjuice on Freepik.
Searching for quality information can be difficult 😬
Don’t get trapped by using TRAAP:
T= Timeliness
Timeliness means information that is CURRENT and UP-TO-DATE. The importance of whether the information is timely depends on your purpose and topic. For example, if you are interested in historical perspectives on an issue, then you will be looking for older materials. But if you want to find out the current ways of understanding a topic, then recently published sources may be more useful.
Always ask the following questions:
- Is the information current or outdated for the topic?
- Does the source tell me when the information was published/updated?
- Will my topic benefit from information published historically?
R= Relevance
Relevance means information that MATCHES your NEEDS. You can determine this by using an age-appropriate search engine to look up information. Once you find your source, ask the following questions:
- Does the information match the question I’m asking?
- Can I read and understand the information?
- Does the information tell me something new or back up the information that I already found?
A= Accuracy
Accuracy means information that is TRUE and CORRECT. Information can be very reliable, very unreliable or somewhere in between. Always be on the look out for information that is trying to convince you it is true by asking the following questions:
- Is the information written professionally with correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar?
- Is the information consistent with what I know and found in other sources?
- Is the information referenced?
A= AuthorÂ
Author means who CREATED the information. This could be an individual, a group of people, or an organisation. Look for the ‘about’ or ‘contact’ sections on websites to find out about the creator and ask the following questions:
- Who is responsible for creating the information?
- Is the author an expert on the topic?
- Is the author from a trustworthy group or organisation?
- Is the information consistent with other sources? If not, why?
This video explains how you can determine if a website is reliable and can be trusted.
P= Purpose
Purpose means REASON the author CREATED the information. Many information sources try to persuade readers to be for or against a topic. When an author tries to persuade you about a topic, they are biased. Most information is biased so knowing about the author’s purpose will help you figure out whether the information is suitable for your question. You can find out about the purpose of a source by asking:
- What is the website URL?
Quick tip: Websites that end in ‘.edu’, ‘.org’, or ‘.gov’ will often have more accurate information than commercial ‘.com’ sites. Also, the URL can tell you what country the source is from. Sites from Australia usually end in ‘.au’ whereas sites from other countries will have different endings (for example, French sites end in ‘.fr’ and Indian sites end in ‘.in’).
- Does the website have advertisements or commercials?
- Does the author present various perspectives on the topic or are they mainly one-sided?
Quick tip: Sources that are not commercial and whose intentions are to inform audiences are often the best types of information to use for your inquiry.
References
Barker, R., Brahmbhatt, P. & Garden, J. (n.d.). Evaluating information sources: A guide for upper primary students (grades 5-6). https://evaluatinginformation.weebly.com/
OSLIS Elementary Videos. (2017, October 3). Evaluating websites (for elementary students) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y-1cpnIZxs- YouTube
Robyn B. (2020, April 20). Credibility video [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq5tB2kFIMc
Scholz, J. (2018). Critical thinking: Evaluating information. Cameron University Libguide. https://cameron.libguides.com/EvaluatingInformation/Home
