If you chose answer (C), then you are right! You can’t determine whether information is reliable until you take a few minutes to ask yourself a few questions. So…without further ado…I give you the CAARP Test:

1) Currency- Once you’ve identified a potentially useful website try to find out how current the information is. Is there a copyright date? Does the website provide a “last updated” date? If the information is older than a year or two, you might want to try to find another website that is newer that corroborates what you’ve found. Also, make sure the links still work–if they don’t, it’s a good sign that the page has been abandoned and may not offer the most current information.

2) Authority- In order to trust the information you find, you need to make sure that the person who put it up for you to see is actually an expert in the field. Look for information on the site regarding the author’s credentials. If you can’t find this info, try searching the web for the author’s name to determine whether he/she has a degree from a real university. Make sure the author is legit, otherwise you may be using false information.

3) Accuracy- To determine the accuracy of information, look for evidence that supports the author’s assertions. Make sure the information is presented without grammatical or spelling mistakes, and look for instances of peer review. Also, if the language seems biased, you might want to corroborate it elsewhere.

4) Relevance- Consider whether the information you’ve found is appropriate for your level. Does it seem like it was written for eighth graders? If so, it might not be relevant in terms of your needs. Does the information relate specifically to your research needs? If not, think about using another source. And finally, would you be comfortable citing this source in your paper? If not, don’t use it.

5) Purpose- Think about the reason the information is presented. Is the website you found trying to sell you something? Is it fact or propaganda? Think about the purpose of the information before you use it.

Once you’ve considered the answers to the above questions, you’ll have a better idea of whether a given website is a good resource for whatever project you are completing!

Tune in later for more on becoming a Information Literate Researcher!

-Take a look at our library tutorial and the instructional videos that were recently created. These videos can be accessed by clicking here, and then by selecting the “clapboard” icon on the right side of the screen. When the next page loads, you will see a list of videos that are available; these videos will show you how to utilize a variety of library resources, accessing them from both the Saint Leo portal and from the library website.

-Books and eBooks can be found by using the Library Catalog (LeoCat). Click on the LeoCat link on the left side of the page, then select the LeoCat link (in red text) from the middle of the page. This will take you to the simple search screen; if you would prefer to perform an advanced search, click on the link at the bottom of the page.

-Look for articles (full-text and abstract) by using the Online Databases. To utilize this resource, choose the Online Library Resources link from the library homepage, then select the Online Databases option from the list. Databases are listed alphabetically; read the descriptions of which areas are covered, choose the database you want to search, then log in as directed.

-Be prepared to perform several searches; it’s unlikely that you’ll find all of books or articles that you need on your first search. Try synonyms and other descriptions to see which phrase gets you the most results. Also, stick to keyword searches initially since subject searches require you to use the Library of Congress subject heading, which may or may not be the term you would use to describe a specific topic.

-Use Boolean terms to make your searches more effective. Boolean terms are AND, OR, and NOT. By combining search terms with these phrases you can easily narrow down or expand your topic, making it easier to identify potentially useful books or articles.

Examples: -“global warming” AND “automobiles” (both terms will be present in the

            records returned)

                  -“automobiles” OR “cars” (records will contain either “cars” or

“automobiles”)

                  -“presidential elections” NOT “USA” (records will deal with presidential

            elections in countries other than the USA)

-Use quotation marks to keep terms together. A search for Order of St. Benedict will search for any of the terms anywhere in the record; a search for “Order of St. Benedict” will look for records in which all of the terms appear in the particular order specified.

There are lots of other resources available through the library! If you need help searching for books, articles, ebooks, or anything else, please stop by, email us, or give us a call—we’re here to help you!