Skip to Main Content

Early Childhood Education: Websites

A compilation of audiovisual, print, electronic and online materials in the discipline of Early Childhood Education that are available for Harper College students

How do I know it's a good source of information?

Students often ask, "How do I know it's a good source of information?"  Start by asking yourself,  "Who? What? Where? Why? and When?"  Who wrote it? is s/he credentialed and qualified to to write on the topic? What is the point of this article? To inform, persuade, sell, scare? etc. More ways to evaluating information are below.  

Evaluating Web Resources: The TRAAP Test

Use the TRAAP test to evaluate resources and information.  Here’s what you need to consider: 

  

Timeliness Relevance Authority Accuracy Purpose 

 

Is the information timely? 

  • When was the information composed, published, or posted?  How old or new is it?  
  • Do updated or newer versions or revisions exist?  
  • How often is there new research on this topic?  
  • Does the new research add to, or replace older information?  

 

Is the information relevant? 

  • Is the information relevant and useful to your research or informational needs?  
  • Does this source help answer your question? (or do you need more)?  
  • Is it covering all aspects of your topic (or only part of it)?  
  • Is the information detailed? Is it too advanced? Too simple?  

 

What authority does the author have on the subject?  

  • What is the source of the information?  Who wrote or compiled the information? 
  • Is this person considered an expert on the topic?  What makes them an expert? 
  • Has this person published content before?  
  • Is the author drawing from personal experience and knowledge? 
  • Has the information been reviewed in some way?   
  • Was the content self-published or posted on a personal site?  

 

Is the information accurate?  

  • Is the information correct?  Is it reliable? 
  • Where does the information come from?  
  • Does the author cite other sources? If so, what kinds of sources are cited?  
  • Is the website current?  Do the links work?  
  • Does the author detail the methods used in experiments and studies?  
  • Does the information match information from other resources?  

 

What is the author’s purpose for composing this information?   

  • Why was the information created?  To teach? Entertain? Sell? Advocate? Inform? Persuade? 
  • Who is the intended audience? General readers? Academic readers?  Industry professionals?  
  • What perspectives influenced the author? (political, ideological, cultural, religious, etc.)  
  • What perspectives are not presented? (think of less common or marginalized perspectives)  

 

Undestanding Domain Names (.com, .edu, .gov, etc.)

The domain of a website indicates the type of entity responsible for creating and maintaining the site. The domain can be found in the site's URL and is always preceded by a .  Below is a list of possible domain names.  Click the info button to find things to consider when evaluating these sites.