How do I structure an essay? Essays have three parts: A beginning... A middle... and an end. That is, the introduction, body, and conclusion. It’s important to have structure in your essay, or you will lose the flow of your argument.
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Integrating ideas with reporting words
Not all information is created equal.
When you choose information for your assignments, there should be a continual evaluation process occurring. Evaluate information for its relevance and usefulness to your work, and its quality.
Not all information that is published is credible and reliable, especially if you find that information on the web. As a smart researcher, you need to be able to judge the value of any information you find, printed or online, before you use it.
Evaluating information sources, whether they are from a book, scholarly database or the web, is an important step in your research. Anyone can publish online so you need to choose your information carefully.
CRAAP test
One way to evaluate an information source is to apply the CRAAP test.
Example right
The timeliness of the information
When you choose information for your assignments, there should be a continual evaluation process occurring. Evaluate information for its relevance and usefulness to your work, and its quality.
Not all information that is published is credible and reliable, especially if you find that information on the web. As a smart researcher, you need to be able to judge the value of any information you find, printed or online, before you use it.
Evaluating information sources, whether they are from a book, scholarly database or the web, is an important step in your research. Anyone can publish online so you need to choose your information carefully.
Currency
The timeliness of the information
- When was the information published or posted?
- Has the information been revised or updated?
- Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well?
- Are the links functional?
Relevance
The importance of the information for your needs
- Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
- Who is the intended audience?
- Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
- Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
- Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research paper?
Authority
The source of the information
- Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
- What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
- Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
- Is there contact information such as a publisher or email address?
- Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source? e.g. .com .edu .gov .org .net
Accuracy
The reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the content
- Where does the information come from?
- Is the information supported by evidence?
- Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
- Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
- Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion?
- Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors?
Purpose
The reason the information exists
- What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade?
- Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
- Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
- Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
- Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases?
Did you know that RMIT partners with the ABC to fact check claims made by politicians and public figures? Go to the RMIT Fact checking subject guide to learn how RMIT gets the real facts, see that latest fact checking, and browse many more resources.
Reproduced with the permission of California State University, Chico.
How to evaluate resources
For a quick overview of the CRAAP test, watch this video from McMaster University.
How do I structure an essay? Essays have three parts: A beginning... A middle... and an end. That is, the introduction, body, and conclusion. It’s important to have structure in your essay, or you will lose the flow of your argument.
How do I write an essay introduction? Writing an essay introduction can sometimes be quite challenging. It helps to break down your introduction into three important parts: First, start by introducing your topic. Then, state your argument. And finally, outline your main points.
By doing this, your introduction should start broad and become more specific, focusing in on your essay topic. Basically, you’re letting the reader know what you’re going to discuss throughout the essay. Let’s have a look at this introduction as an example:
Self-confidence means possessing a positive, yet realistic, view of one’s self and abilities. Self-confident people have trust and faith in their abilities. Self-confidence can be affected by a variety of factors. This essay will argue that self-confidence develops through a complex interaction between a range of factors. The essay will firstly define self-confidence, and then analyse the interaction between various factors that affect the confidence of an individual. In particular, these are personality style, situational factors/life experiences self-efficacy and self-esteem.
Evaluating market information
Explore these skills in a real world context.
How do I structure an essay? Essays have three parts: A beginning... A middle... and an end. That is, the introduction, body, and conclusion. It’s important to have structure in your essay, or you will lose the flow of your argument.
How do I write an essay introduction? Writing an essay introduction can sometimes be quite challenging. It helps to break down your introduction into three important parts: First, start by introducing your topic. Then, state your argument. And finally, outline your main points.
