The CRAAP Test tests websites for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. It has become increasingly necessary to check for a website’s credibility in research and academic writing because we live in the age of speculation, propaganda, and easy access to worthless information. The website to be tested for credibility in this case is www.factcheck.org.
Fact Check passes the CRAAP Test because of a number of reasons; as far as CRAAP test goes, this website has no crap. It is a presentation of all the factual and relevant events in American politics. All the articles in the website are written by journalists of the organization as the political news and events unfold. Articles are regularly updated in order to keep the information relevant and up-to-date. The organization was founded by Brook Jackson 10 years ago. Fact Check posts links and news that direct readers and audience to current political news. Thus, based on the test, here are the scores:
- Currency – The news posted on the website is updated real-time. Journalists are at work 24/7 to ensure that anybody who is looking for current information on a subject – political news, can get it.
- Relevance – the information on the website is relevant as far as political news is concerned which is the reason it was set-up
- Authority – the site passes the authority check on the basis of the founders and funders of its operations. That information is found on its “About Us” page which also captures its mission. Also, its unbiased nature is gotten from its URL suffic. It is an .org website.
- Accuracy – the website is accurate in terms of getting rid of confusion and deception from political news and research.
- Purpose – the website meets its purpose by making accurate news or information on American politics available to its audience. This means that a lot of knowledge is available in the website as a result of professional journalism and scholarship. Additionally, the journalists are qualified to do their work and in most cases sources of information used in writing some articles are given at the end of each of the articles; thus acknowledging the sources of information.
References
Annenberg Public Policy Center. (2013). Fact Check. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from FactCheck.Org: http://www.factcheck.org/
