Law & Justice Research Guide

Evaluating Sources is as Easy as ABCD (Author, Bias, Content, and Date):

Use the ABCD criteria questions to evaluate your sources.

• Author: Identify the authors of the source. Are the authors experts and qualified to write on the topic? What are their credentials? Are they affiliated with any organizations or a university? Additionally, consider the publisher or source to make sure the information provided can be considered reputable in regards to your information need.
• Bias: Identify any bias in the information. Does the information presented cover all sides of the topic in a neutral, objective manner? What is the purpose of this information - to inform, teach, persuade, or sell?
• Content: Evaluate the content of the document. Is the information provided through a superficial overview or is it a detailed analysis? Is the information relevant to the topic or does it deviate too much? Additionally, focus on the accuracy of the content - does the information match your understanding of the topic and can you verify the claims in other sources?
• Date: Consider when the information was published, updated, or revised. Has the information become outdated? Additionally, consider the date of the reference list provided - are those sources too old or irrelevant with regard to your chosen topic? 

Evaluating Information: Is it CRAAP (Currency, Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose)?

The CRAAP Test is a list of questions to help you evaluate the information you find. Not all criteria apply equally to all articles but will give you confidence that your sources meet the expectations of your assignment. Feel free to save/print this for personal use.

• Applying the CRAAP Test

When Evaluating Sources, it Helps to Have a CCOW (Credentials, Claims, Objectives, and Worldview):

If you want to know if a piece of information is good, investigating these four elements can be very helpful. This guide briefly walks you through each CCOW element, and ends with an exercise to put it all into practice.

• Have a CCOW 

Print Resources:

• Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. - Central Washington University (cwu.edu)

Available at Brooks Library, Reference Material.

Online Resources (Purdue Writing Lab):

• APA Style Introduction

Requirements for APA and examples of citations are offered in this guide. APA is primarily used in the Social Sciences, Education and Engineering.

• Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition

Requirements for Chicago style and examples of citations are offered in this guide. Used widely in history and political science; features footnotes or endnotes accompanied by a bibliography

• MLA Formatting and Style Guide

Requirements for MLA and examples of citations are offered in this guide. MLA is the primary citation style used in the Humanities.

• Best Practices for Writers

Best practices for avoiding plagiarism and frequently asked questions regarding plagiarism are provided in this guide.

Additional Online Resources:

• Ask a Librarian

Get citation help from a librarian at CWU Libraries

• Bluebook 101 by Gallagher Law Library

Basic information for getting started with The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation

• Bluebook Quick Style Guide

Examples provided by the publisher to illustrate how to cite commonly used sources in accordance with The Bluebook's Whitepages, which are intended for use in law review footnotes.