As mentioned previously, at the end of this course, you will create an annotated bibliography on a topic within your major field of study. This week, you will finalize your research question and begin to evaluate online sources related to your research question. The online sources you evaluate may be used in your Final Paper in Week Five.
First, review the feedback your instructor has given to you on your research question on your past assignments. If you’re not sure how to view the comments on your papers, you can learn how by watching the Accessing Feedback in Written Papers video. Consider the advice that your instructor has given to you and your experiences researching your topic to write the final version of your research question. Then, write a short reflection explaining how and why you revised your research question.
Then, watch the GEN103 – Week Three: Determine the Quality of Information video (transcript).
Read the Evaluating Information – Applying the CRAAP Test handout, and view Google’s All Tips & Tricks before completing this assignment.
Now that you have a basic understanding of what the CRAAP Test is and how to effectively search for information online, it is time to apply this method to the evaluation of web sources. In this assignment, you are tasked with locating three online sources that will help you answer your research question. For this assignment, you should use a search engine (like Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo) to locate the online sources, not the Ashford University Library’s research databases. It is not required that the online sources you find for this assignment pass all five criteria of the CRAAP Test. However, any online source that you use for your annotated bibliography must pass all CRAAP Test criteria.
Using the Determine the Quality of Information Worksheet, you will apply the elements of the CRAAP Test to your chosen online sources. You are expected to provide a brief evaluation of how each online source met or did not meet the requirements of the CRAAP Test, as directed in the worksheet. You will also reflect on the characteristics of the online sources that you found that indicated that each did or did not meet the CRAAP Test criteria and how those characteristics affect how you will use those sources for your annotated bibliography. Download the worksheet to your computer and save it in an easy to find location. You will then complete the worksheet based on your research and evaluation of online sources, saving your final work.
View this Determine the Quality of Information Worksheet Example to guide you as you complete this assignment.
Submit the completed Determine the Quality of Information Worksheet.