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✍️ Writing & Research Grades 5–12
Research Skills & Source Evaluation
Anyone can publish anything online. Good researchers find sources fast, then check whether they can be trusted before using them.
Learn How it works
Search smarter
- Use 2–4 keywords, not a whole question:
teen sleep school start time study. - Put exact phrases in quotes:
"Bill of Rights". Limit to a site type:site:.govorsite:.edu. - Try free, reliable places: your public library's databases, Library of Congress, National Archives, Google Scholar, and government data sites.
The CRAP test
C · Currency
When was it published or updated? Is that recent enough for your topic?
R · Reliability
Does it cite sources? Is it fact or opinion? Can you check the facts elsewhere?
A · Authority
Who wrote it? What are their credentials? Who published it?
P · Purpose / point of view
Is it trying to inform, sell, persuade, or entertain? Is it biased?
The SIFT method (for anything online)
- Stop. Before you share or use it, ask: do I know this source?
- Investigate the source. Open a new tab and search the author or site name. What do others say about it?
- Find better coverage. Search the claim. Do trusted sources report the same thing?
- Trace claims to the original. Follow the link back to the original study, quote, or photo.
Primary vs. secondary sources
Primary: made at the time by someone involved (a diary, a speech, a photo, raw data). Secondary: made later by someone interpreting primary sources (a textbook, a documentary, an encyclopedia article).
Try it Source checker
Answer for one source. You'll get a CRAP score and advice.
Answer all five to see the result.
Practice Check yourself
Answer, then tap Check. You get an explanation either way.
Its purpose is to sell, so it's not a neutral source.