ES 212 Research Resources
How to research competitors and industry peers
Using market and industry analysis and data
Consumer demographic and survey data
Sarah Blakesley at California State University, Chico developed the CRAAP test as an easy to remember acronym to help provide a checklist of things to consider when evaluating an information or data resource:
Currency – when was it published? Has it been revised or updated? Do the links work?
Relevance – does the information answer your question? Who is the intended audience?
Authority – who is the author/publisher? Is there contact information? Can you use the URL to figure out the source? (.com, .org, .edu)
Accuracy – where does it come from? Is it supported by evidence?
Purpose – why the information exists
