What Is the CRAAP Test?

Do you believe all that you read? How do you know the psychological article you are reading is accurate, unbiased, and helpful?

The CRAAP Test is the first evaluating test online to check the research is valid or not. This test gives the correct result, and if you want the authorized content then the CRAAP test is the best option.

Be that as it may, there is a more correct method of choice if a post is reliable and helpful. The letters in CRAAP represent - Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose.

Perhaps you are not the familiar audience (i.e. the information is too technical or too basic for you).  Also, it is important to the relevance of an article are the depth and breadth of coverage.

An original book on mental health treatments, for example, needs to cover common types of medications (e.g., benzodiazepines, SSRIs) and forms of psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy).

A post on the benefits of, say, biofeedback for social anxiety, does not. Questions regarding relevance

• Why are you reading this information?
  
• Does it deliver what it promises?
  
• Are the language and coverage appropriate?

An article on mental illness published in Psychology Today 30 years ago, even if written by a top expert, may not reflect recent findings or our current conceptualization of mental illness.

Contrast with physics or chemistry, psychology is still a very modern science, and some of our most primary assumptions in the field have been challenged by new scientific findings.

So it is fundamental not to expect more seasoned views on character, conduct, and comprehension are essentially still acknowledged by mainstream researchers.

Some topics to ask about the currency of an article you are reading

• When was the content written?
  
• When was it published?
  
• Has it been updated since then?

Psychology is or inspires to be an empirical science, so major psychological claims need to be verified by scientific experiments. If what you are reading is said to come from research.

Psychology researchers often write in a manner that shows their respect for truth. For instance, they suggest that a variable makes some event more likely or probable, not certain. This is not false modesty but an appreciation for the shortcomings of statistic methods and the elusive nature of the truth.

The scientists’ certainty increases mainly with more replications of the study (i.e. researchers in other labs getting the same results). So look for a lot of evidence when someone makes absolute claims. One last point: Watch out for an expert being quoted out of context. The specialist’s claim may be accidentally or deliberately misconstrued. When in doubt, go to the source.

Questions regarding accuracy

• Has the author cited sources for the assumptions and claims?
  
• Are most of the sources scholarly?
  
• Have the results of these studies been replicated?

The last element of the CRAAP test is the purpose of the article. One may write for various purposes: Informing the reader of an occurrence, explaining how something happened, entertaining, selling, persuading, and other motivations.

Also look for ulterior  motives, conflicts of interest, and hidden agendas. Even a highly objective researcher may sometimes, intentionally or unintentionally, provide biased guidance or make unsubstantiated claims.

The writer might be providing an opinion (in the guise of a science-based article) about a controversial topic or a topic that has affected him or her  negatively in a deeply personal way, or writing the piece as a way to
promote a product or service.

Conflicts of interest and  financial motivations can be so powerful they even influence research studies, which is why The New England Journal of Medicine and many other journals now require authors to disclose any financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

So, as you read, ask yourself

• What is the author trying to accomplish (e.g., inform, entertain, convince, sell)?
  
• Is there any evidence of conflict of interest or hidden agenda? Is the report discussing a sensitive topic?
  
• Might the author’s personal feelings have negatively influenced the objectivity of the article?

If the information you are reading comes from an individual’s personal experience, make sure the author is experienced enough in the field and
has used a systematic approach to analyzing his or her experiences. Why? Because all of us, including doctors, are prone to many preferences.

Greater trust in the author is usually required when the information provided  concerns a complex topic, is based solely on the author’s personal experience, or disagrees with what is widely believed by respected  people in the field.

Case in point, if a person  says you should beat your children, you might want to carefully examine  the person’s source of information because the weight of evidence currently suggests spanking is ineffective and harmful.

Questions regarding authority

• Does the author have an academic degree in this area from a reputable college?
• If the information provided is based on experience, is the writer experienced enough?
  
• Are the writer’s conclusions based on an objective and systematic approach to evaluating his or her experiences?

Currency

Relevance

Authority

Accuracy

Purpose

 C - Currency

   R- Relevance

 A - Authority

  A - Accuracy

P - Purpose