CARS Checklist

• Credibility– trustworthy

• Accuracy– up-to-date, factual, exact

• Reasonableness– fair, balanced, objective, reasoned

• Support– valid

CARS Checklist

Credibility• Is the author formally educated

in the subject area he/she is writing about? What are the author’s credentials, qualifications, expertise?

• Does the author have a history of research/writings or field experience in the subject area?

• Is the publisher a trustworthy organization?

• Is this a scholarly journal? Blog? News article? Trade publication?

Accuracy• Is there a date on the document?

How long ago was it published?• Did the article use old information,

or data that is prone to change rapidly that might be out of date?

• Are any assertions vague or otherwise lacking detail?

• Check for sweeping rather than qualified language (that is, the use of always, never, every, completely rather than usually, seldom, sometimes, tends, and so forth).

CARS Checklist

Reasonableness• Is the content well researched? Are

opposing findings or points of view addressed?

• Are claims, arguments, conclusions reasonable?

• Does the author make overclaims? ("Thousands of children are murdered every day in the United States.")

• Does the author make sweeping statements of excessive significance? ("This is the most important idea ever conceived!")

• Are there any apparent conflicts of interest?

Support• Where did this information come from?• What sources did the information

creator use?• Are the sources listed?• Is there a bibliography or other

documentation?• Does the author provide contact

information in case you wish to discuss an issue or request further clarification?

• What kind of support for the information is given?

• How does the writer know this?