Before you share, cite, or rely on information, whether the source is an article, book, website, or social media post, use the RADAR Framework and ask the following questions:
Rationale
Why does the information exist? Is it objective and impartial, or biased? Is it promoting something such a product or a particular religious, cultural or political point of view? Is it for entertainment or education?
Authority
What is the source of the information? Is the source an authority or expert on the subject? What are the author's credentials? Is the author affiliated with an organization that might benefit from the research? Is there current contact information for the author?
Date
How timely is the information? Is it the most recent information or data on the topic?
Accuracy
Is the information supported by other research? Does the author cite quality sources or other experts in the field? Is it peer-reviewed? Was it fact-checked?
Relevance
Is the information relevant to my research? Does it answer your research questions? Who is the intended audience?
Credits: Anne Burke, project lead and storyboards; Lisa Beckford, script and editing; Daria Dorafshar, graphics and animation; Andreas Orphanides, editing, audio production, technical infrastructure; Josephine McRobbie, narration. This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States license. Published June 2015 by N.C. State University Libraries.