Not everything you find is a great resource. Sometimes the article you think will be perfect doesn't really help. Sometimes the information you find is just unreliable.
The web is full of unreliable information, but that stuff can even find its way into books, magazines, newspapers, etc. Ever see someone believe an Onion article?
There are a few things you can do to make sure your resources are the best for your research. One is to try to find scholarly and/or peer-reviewed articles, and the other is to apply the CRAAP test to your resources.
C: Currency: The timeliness of the information. When was the information published or posted?
R: Relevance: Is the information directly related to your topic?
A: Authority: The source of the information. What are the author's credentials?
A: Accuracy: The reliability and correctness of the content. Where does the information come from?
P: Purpose: The reason the information exists. What biases are involved? Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
Use this link to print a copy of the C.R.A.A.P. Test created by the librarians at Cal State Chico.
See also: a video from Weslyan University about applying the CRAAP test.
