RESEARCH
COMPONENT
Historical Background/Career Description
In this section, you will demonstrate:
Your understanding of your career's history or
background, along with its' description
■ This will need to be at least one full page (500-550 words +/-)
■ YOU MUST USE AT LEAST TWO SOURCES IN YOUR RESEARCH
■ What does the career entail?
■ What are the job expectations? What types of activities will you be required to do
daily? Weekly? Annually?
HOW WILL YOU RESEARCH?
REMEMBER: You must have 5 total sources. 1 of these sources is your
interview.
PLACES TO GO:
JC Library!
Internet/web
Books
Magazines
Newspaper
CRAAP Test
C.R.A.A.P. is an easy device, or mnemonic, to help you
remember the following evaluation criteria:
C - Currency
R - Relevancy (yes, we already discussed this one)
A - Accuracy
A - Authority
P - Purpose
Currency
When was it written and/or updated?
If you need current information, checking the date of the source is
very important. On the other hand, sometimes older information
works fine for certain topics.
Example: A current source
is crucial if your research
deals with the newest
research on advances in the
treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Example: An older source might
be helpful if you are researching
the history of the Motion Picture
Association of America film rating
system.
Relevancy
Why is this information useful to me?
relevancy is important because it is the first step in determining
whether the information you find is pertinent or what you are
really looking for.
Example: A source detailing the link
between alcoholism and divorce may not be
relevant if you are looking for information
on the reasons people drink.
Accuracy
Where does this information come from?
Are there additional resources cited?
Accuracy is important because you need correct information to make good
decisions. Also, if you present inaccurate information, others may question
your own credibility.
Example: If you tell readers
that condoms are 100 percent
effective in preventing
pregnancy, you are providing
inaccurate information and an
unplanned pregnancy may be the
result.
Authority
Who wrote this site? Is he/she an expert?
Authority refers to reviewing an author’s credentials. You need to determine whether the
person presenting the information has the knowledge and background to be a good
source.
Example: If you are writing a paper on the
health risks of tattoos and body
piercings, a doctor would have more
authority than a website provided by a
professional tattoo artist.
Purpose
Why was this site/information written?
You need to carefully examine the
purpose or bias of the information
presented.
Is it trying to:
•Entertain?
•Educate?
•Sell you a product?
•Sway you to a particular
point of view?
Even if a source portrays a particular
viewpoint, it may still be valid. But,
you must be able to recognize the bias,
even if it is adequately supported.
Example: If you looking for a website
containing information on identity theft,
keep in mind that some of the pages found
might be trying to sell you identity theft
protection.
Summing Up
When encountering ANY type of information, it is important to
evaluate its quality. To perform this evaluation, use the
C.R.A.A.P. mnemonic device.
•Currency
•Relevancy
•Accuracy
•Authority
•Purpose