This is a short, engaging activity suitable for learners of all levels. In it, students evaluate web sources that are provided by an instructor using the acronym CRAAP (currency, relevance, accuracy, authority, and purpose). Students work together in groups and explore evaluation processes aloud, with guidance from the CRAAP cards and the instructor. This is an adaptation of various evaluating sources activities available in LIS literature and professional resources. This activity is ideally implemented as a kind of collaborative game moderated by the instructor. It is highly adaptable.Students are grouped into 5 groups - one for each criterion of CRAAP. Each group will receive a CRAAP card or 3x5 index card/ handout/ other with evaluation questions pertaining to Currency, Relevance, Accuracy, Authority, and Purpose – different for each table. These are the "designated skeptics" of their criterion. They set out as skeptics and they are explicitly challenged to be challenging, and the rest of the class is directed to challenge them as well with probing open-ended questions. A source will be shared with the class on the projector. These sources will include scholarly articles, websites (blogs and orgs), and reference entries. It is essential that the instructor select sources that are relevant to their students (either by course, subject, or level) and that would be likely results on a student Internet search for a research topic/ question.Each group will evaluate the source aloud on the single criterion they’ve been assigned. If it “passes,” then the source gets asked the next question. If it “fails,” the source is dismissed. The criterion can be called out in order - that is, according to CRAAP - but they can also be called out randomly to be evaluated. This activity can be repeated with various websites or web sources.

This hands-on activity was piloted as part of a teach-in on fake news at Purchase College, SUNY. To convey the idea that “fake news” exists on a continuum, we did a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey activity using a blank version of Vanessa Otero’s Media Bias chart. The chart is a useful tool for showing the nuances between nonfactual, biased, and inflammatory news sources. Participants are asked to research a news media organization and decide where to place it on the chart, then compare their choices to Otero's original infographic. Two groups can also compare their choices to each other. The ensuing discussion fits nicely with the ACRL Threshold Concept: “Authority is constructed and contextual” and can relate to "Research as Inquiry" or "Information as Value" as well, if economic factors related to the press and clickbait websites are discussed. The concept of a source being on a spectrum of “complex vs. clickbait” adds an additional layer of complexity for students who are used to focusing on binaries such as: liberal vs. conservative or “trustworthy vs. fake.” The details of how to implement this activity as well as copies of Otero's chart are attached. (P.S. An updated version of the chart was created in Fall 2017 adding more nuance along the "complexity" axis and removing some of the "PG-13" or "sassy" language. See attached PDFs).

The Inform Your Thinking video series introduces students to the frames of the ACRL Framework in an easy-to-understand manner by using conversational tone, approachable peer hosts, relatable comparisons, and eye-catching graphics. This video introduces students to the Searching as Strategic Exploration frame by pushing students to think about their information need and the scope of their search. Students will examine parameters for when and where to perform searches, as well as how they should formulate and refine their search terms.

The Inform Your Thinking video series introduces students to the frames of the ACRL Framework in an easy-to-understand manner by using conversational tone, approachable peer hosts, relatable comparisons, and eye-catching graphics. This video introduces students to the Information Creation as a Process frame by examining how the process for creating information impacts the way information is shared and packaged. Students will decide when to use each type of information depending on creation process, as well as recognize the need to verify their sources. 

The Inform Your Thinking video series introduces students to the frames of the ACRL Framework in an easy-to-understand manner by using conversational tone, approachable peer hosts, relatable comparisons, and eye-catching graphics. This video introduces students to the Research as Inquiry frame by illustrating how formulating the right research questions takes time and may shift as you get further into the topic. Students will recognize that their question is just one of many being asked within the field, and will explore tips for focusing their research question.

The Inform Your Thinking video series introduces students to the frames of the ACRL Framework in an easy-to-understand manner by using conversational tone, approachable peer hosts, relatable comparisons, and eye-catching graphics. This video introduces students to the Information Has Value frame by illustrating the inherent value of information and its influence on information access. Students will explore the importance of investigating the source of their information, as well as recognizing the privilege of their access to information as students.

The Inform Your Thinking video series introduces students to the frames of the ACRL Framework in an easy-to-understand manner by using conversational tone, approachable peer hosts, relatable comparisons, and eye-catching graphics. This video introduces students to the Authority is Constructed and Contextual frame by showing how being an authority on a topic varies by context and information need, and may shift from one situation to the next. Students will glean tips for discerning authority with academic topics by deciphering author credibility, recognizing the value of peer-review, and examining the evidence. 

The Inform Your Thinking video series introduces students to the frames of the ACRL Framework in an easy-to-understand manner by using conversational tone, approachable peer hosts, relatable comparisons, and eye-catching graphics. This video introduces students to the Scholarship as Conversation frame by comparing research to conversations between different “voices” that each contribute a unique perspective on a topic. Students will explore useful tips on becoming a part of this conversation within their specific field of study, as well as how to decipher the voices in certain conversations.

Graphic research handout that will help student understand how to conduct SWOT analysis. Print this handout into bookmark size: when printing PDF, choose page sizing & handling Multiple, page per sheet (Custom 2 by 1), page order  (horizontal reversed), print on both sides of the paper (flip on short edge), orientation (landscape).

The Un-Research Project was created and implemented by Allison Hosier as part of a credit-bearing information literacy course in 2014. The project, a twist on the traditional annotated bibliography, and its connections to themes from the ACRL Framework were detailed in an article published in Communications in Information Literacy in 2015.This resource includes a list of materials associated with the project that can be adapted for use for anyone interested in implementing the un-research project or a similar one as part of their instruction.