Strategies for Evaluating Information: TRAAP

Whether your academic sources are peer-reviewed or not and regardless of format, it is critical to evaluate all sources for relevance and credibility. Relevance addresses if the information is related to your research while credibility concerns if the information can be trusted and backed up by evidence. We will cover 3 strategies for evaluating information: TRAAP, the 5Ws, and SIFT. As a researcher, you can choose which evaluation strategy works for the source format you need to support your research. 

 

TRAAP

The TRAAP test questions the timeliness, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose of a source. Examining all five of these components is necessary - even if one checks out, it is possible that another might fall short! This test is especially useful for academic and scholarly texts, but you can keep it in mind when looking at all sources.

 

ASK YOURSELF:  IS THIS A TRAAP?   

Timeliness: the timeliness of the information

  • When was the information published or posted?
  • Has the information been revised or updated?
  • Have newer articles been published on your topic?
  • Does your topic require current information or will older sources also work?
  • Are the links functional?

Relevance: the importance of the information for your needs

  • Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
  • Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is the one you will use?
  • Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?

Authority: the source of the information

  • Who is the author / publisher / source / sponsor?
  • What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
  • What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
  • Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address?
  • Does the URL reveal anything about the source?  (More info about URLs and Internet Domains)

Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the information

  • Where does the information come from?
  • Is the information supported by evidence?
  • Has the information been refereed or peer-reviewed?
  • Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
  • Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
  • Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?

Purpose: the reason the information exists

  • What is the purpose of the information?  Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain, or persuade?
  • Do the authors / sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
  • Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda?
  • Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
  • Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?

Adapted from Savvy Info Consumers: Scholarly Sources

A visual representation of the TRAAP test is available here Links to an external site..

Watch this video from UW Libraries to learn more about TRAAP: