Information adapted from materials developed by Joyce Valenza.

A problem that regularly faces researchers is the validity and relevance of the myriad of resources available. When deciding whether or not to use a resource for research, take the time to think of CARRDSS:

CREDIBILITY / AUTHORITY
ACCURACY
RELIABILITY
RELEVANCE
DATE
SOURCES BEHIND THE TEXT
SCOPE AND PURPOSE

Credibility/Authority

Who is the author?
What are his or her credentials? Education? Experience? Affiliation?
Does the author’s experience really qualify him or her as an expert?
Does he or she offer first-hand credibility? (For instance, a Vietnam veteran or a witness to Woodstock?)
Who actually published this page?
Is this a personal page or is it part of the site belonging to a major institution? (Clues pointing to a personal page: ~ tilde, %, users, members)
Is the page hosted by a free server like AOL, Tripod, Geocities?

Accuracy

Can facts, statistics, or other information be verified through other sources?
Based on your knowledge, does the information seem accurate? Is the information inconsistent with information you learned from other sources?
Is the information second hand? Has it been altered?
Do there appear to be errors on the page (spelling, grammar, facts)?

Reliability

Does the source present a particular view or bias?
Is the page affiliated with an organization that has a particular political or social agenda?
Is the page selling a product?
Can you find other material to offer balance so that you can see the bigger picture?
Was the information found in a paid placement or sponsored result from the search engine?
Information is seldom neutral. Sometimes a bias is useful for persuasive essays or debates. Understanding bias is important.

Relevance

Does this information directly support my hypothesis/thesis or help to answer my question?
Can I eliminate or ignore it because it simply doesn’t help me?

Date

When was this information created?
When was it revised?
Are these dates meaningful in terms of your information needs?
Has the author of the page stopped maintaining it?
(Be suspicious of undated material.)

Sources Behind the Text

Did the author bother to document his or her sources? use reliable, credible sources?
Were those references popular, scholarly, reputable?
Are those sources real? Have you or your librarian heard of or been able to verify them?
Is the material reproduced (accurately) from another publication?
What kind of links did the author choose?
Are the hyperlinks reliable, valuable?
Do the links work?