 Information comes at you pretty fast these days. It's easy to get overwhelmed by it all. You may even wonder if any of this information is reliable. How do you decide for yourself? As it turns out, a librarian from the University of California named Sarah Blakesley came up with a funny way to help with this problem. She called it the Crap Test. That's currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose. In this video, we'll show you how to use the Crap Test to evaluate the sources you find in your search to ensure that they are quality, relevant, and credible resources. Currency. Not that kind of currency. In this case, currency refers to how timely the information is. After all, would you rather get your health news from a website that hasn't been updated since 1996, or would you rather get your information from a source that's a bit more recent? How do you check for currency? Ask yourself, are you in a fast-paced industry where the latest cutting-edge information is always being updated, or will older sources work just as well? Has the information been revised recently? If it's a website, do all of the links still work? Is there a newer version of the website? Has it been revamped, or is it hosted in a new location? Relevance. How important is this information for your current needs? When it comes to finding information, there can be a lot of noise getting in the way of what you want to learn. It can be annoying and even a bit overwhelming, but there are ways to cut through the clutter. You can use limiters to narrow your search results even further. First, ask yourself if the information is even related to your question or topic. Information that's unrelated to your topic can be a distraction. Stay focused. You might not find the perfect answer right away. That's okay. You can also ask a librarian or other member of the library staff a bunch of questions until you find what you need. They really don't mind. Be persistent and you may be rewarded with the information you were looking for. There are other points to remember when thinking about relevance. When analyzing information, consider its intended audience. For example, is the information too simple or is it too complicated? And have you tried searching through a variety of sources before choosing the right one? Authority. Where did the information come from? How can you tell if a person really knows what they're talking about? With so many people claiming to be an expert in one thing or another, it can be hard to know who really knows. How do you decide who or what has the most authority when it comes to information? Ask yourself who is the author, publisher, or sponsor? What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations? Can you verify those credentials? Is the author qualified to write on the topic? Is there contact information? If it's a website, does the URL reveal anything about the author or source? Accuracy. How true is this information? Accuracy is a hot topic these days. There's a lot of confusion over what is fake and what is real when it comes to information. When checking for accuracy, ask yourself, does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion? Is the information supported by evidence? Can you verify the information using more than one credible source? Has the information been peer reviewed? Remember, peer review is the evaluation of a work by other experts in the same field who check the work and research prior to its publication. The peer review process is important because it serves as quality control. The experts, peers, reviewing the work don't just fact check, they also check for clarity and methodology. If the work involves people or animals, the peer review may even check for ethical or safety concerns. Purpose. Why does this information exist? When evaluating a source, it's always important to think about the reason why it was created in the first place. Is the purpose instructional? Or is it someone trying to sell you something? Does the point of view appear objective and impartial? Or is the author trying to persuade the audience somehow? Remember to look closely. Sometimes the real purpose of a work isn't immediately obvious. Check for ideological, political, cultural, or religious biases before deciding on a source. Even if the source is entirely accurate, comparing it to other sources can provide you with information that was left out for any reason. Be thorough. Sometimes what looks like a fact may simply be an opinion or propaganda. Don't be afraid to compare sources. So, does your information pass the crap test? If you're unsure or you still have some questions, don't hesitate to ask a librarian or member of the library staff. Thanks for watching.