CRAAP Test
Evaluate health sources with confidence
The CRAAP Test is a simple, reliable framework for assessing online medical information. It helps learners slow down, verify evidence, and avoid misinformation.
Origin and development
The CRAAP Test was developed in 2004 by Sarah Blakeslee and a team of librarians at California State University, Chico (CSU Chico). It was designed as an easy-to-remember toolkit for evaluating the flood of information on the internet.
CRAAP Test overview
- A foundational tool used within the educational website to help nursing students verify sources.
- Stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose.
- Use it before sharing, saving, or acting on online medical information.
The five criteria
Currency
Timeliness
Has this medical data been updated within the last 3-5 years to reflect current clinical guidelines?
Relevance
Importance
Does this information specifically address the clinical case, or is it too generalized for professional use?
Authority
Source
Is the author a licensed clinician (MD, RN, NP) or a reputable medical institution (CDC, WHO, NIH)?
Accuracy
Reliability
Is the content supported by peer-reviewed citations and verifiable clinical evidence?
Purpose
Intent
Is the site providing objective education, or is it attempting to sell a product or persuade a viewpoint?
Signs and symptoms (red flags)
- Outdated timestamps (Currency).
- Authors with no medical background (Authority).
- Websites primarily designed to sell supplements (Purpose).
- Claims without citations or clinical evidence (Accuracy).
Reminder for learners
Just because a medical website looks professional or appears as the first result on a search engine does not mean its content is clinically accurate or peer-reviewed.
Kampen, K. V. (2025). Library Guides: Evaluating Resources and Misinformation: CRAAP Test. Retrieved from guides.lib.uchicago.edu.