---
name: source-evaluation
description: Use this skill when presenting information from external sources, citing research, or answering factual questions. Assess source credibility and recency before relying on it.
category: research
---

# Source Evaluation

**CRAAP criteria (quick version):**
- **Currency:** Is the source recent enough for this topic? (Technology: < 2 years; science: check if superseded)
- **Relevance:** Does it directly address the question?
- **Authority:** Is the author or organization credible in this domain?
- **Accuracy:** Is it peer-reviewed, cited, or verifiable from other sources?
- **Purpose:** Is it informational vs. promotional vs. opinion?

**Red flags:** anonymous authorship, no citations, sensational language, single-source claims.

**Best practice:** triangulate important facts across 2–3 independent sources before asserting them.