14
Researched Writing Researched Writing Evaluating Sources Evaluating Sources

Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

Researched WritingResearched Writing

Evaluating SourcesEvaluating Sources

Page 2: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

Evaluating SourcesEvaluating Sources

Evaluating All SourcesEvaluating All Sources Signs of biasSigns of bias Assessing an argumentAssessing an argument

Evaluating Web SourcesEvaluating Web Sources AuthorshipAuthorship SponsorshipSponsorship Purpose and AudiencePurpose and Audience CurrencyCurrency

Page 3: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

CHECKING FOR SIGNS OF BIASCHECKING FOR SIGNS OF BIAS

Does the author or publisher have Does the author or publisher have political leanings or religious views political leanings or religious views that could affect objectivity?that could affect objectivity?

Is the author or publisher associated Is the author or publisher associated with a special-interest group, such as with a special-interest group, such as Greenpeace or the National Rifle Greenpeace or the National Rifle Association, that might see only one Association, that might see only one side of an issue?side of an issue?

Page 4: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

Signs of Bias, Con’t.Signs of Bias, Con’t.

How fairly does the author treat How fairly does the author treat opposing views?opposing views?

Does the author’s language show Does the author’s language show signs of Bias?signs of Bias?

Page 5: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

ASSESSING AN ARGUMENTASSESSING AN ARGUMENT

What is the author’s central claim or What is the author’s central claim or thesis?thesis?

How does the author support this How does the author support this claim – with relevant and sufficient claim – with relevant and sufficient evidence or with just a few evidence or with just a few anecdotes or emotional examples?anecdotes or emotional examples?

Page 6: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

Assessment, Con’t.Assessment, Con’t.

Are statistics accurate? Have they Are statistics accurate? Have they been used fairly? (It is possible to been used fairly? (It is possible to “lie” with statistics by using them “lie” with statistics by using them selectively or by omitting selectively or by omitting mathematical details.)mathematical details.)

Are any of the author’s assumptions Are any of the author’s assumptions questionable?questionable?

Page 7: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

Assessment, Con’t.Assessment, Con’t.

Does the author consider opposing Does the author consider opposing arguments and refute them arguments and refute them persuasively?persuasively?

Does the author fall prey to any Does the author fall prey to any logical fallacies?logical fallacies?

Page 8: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

EVALUATING WEB SOURCESEVALUATING WEB SOURCES

CautionCaution: : If the sponsorship If the sponsorship and the authorship of a site and the authorship of a site are both unclear, be are both unclear, be extremely suspicious of the extremely suspicious of the site.site.

Page 9: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

AUTHORSHIPAUTHORSHIP

Is there an author? You may need to Is there an author? You may need to do some clicking and scrolling to find do some clicking and scrolling to find the author’s name. If you are on an the author’s name. If you are on an internal page of a site, for example, internal page of a site, for example, you may need to go to the home you may need to go to the home page or click on an “about this site” page or click on an “about this site” link to learn the name of the author.link to learn the name of the author.

Page 10: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

Authorship, con’t.Authorship, con’t.

If there is an author, can you tell If there is an author, can you tell whether he or she is knowledgeable whether he or she is knowledgeable and credible? When the author’s and credible? When the author’s qualifications aren’t listed on the site qualifications aren’t listed on the site itself, look for links to a home page, itself, look for links to a home page, which may provide evidence of the which may provide evidence of the author’s interests and expertise.author’s interests and expertise.

Page 11: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

SPONSORSHIPSPONSORSHIP

Who, if anyone, sponsors the site? Who, if anyone, sponsors the site? The sponsor or a site is often named The sponsor or a site is often named and described on the home page.and described on the home page.

What does the domain name tell What does the domain name tell you? The domain name often you? The domain name often specifies the type of group hosting specifies the type of group hosting the site: commercial (.com), the site: commercial (.com), educational (.edu), nonprofit (.org), educational (.edu), nonprofit (.org), military (.mil), or network (.net).military (.mil), or network (.net).

Page 12: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

PURPOSE AND AUDIENCEPURPOSE AND AUDIENCE

Why was the site created: to argue a Why was the site created: to argue a position? to sell a product? to inform position? to sell a product? to inform readers?readers?

Who is the site’s intended audience? Who is the site’s intended audience? If you do not fit the audience profile, If you do not fit the audience profile, is information on the site still is information on the site still relevant to your topic?relevant to your topic?

Page 13: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

CURRENCYCURRENCY

How current is the site? Check for How current is the site? Check for the date of publication or the latest the date of publication or the latest update.update.

How current are the site’s links? If How current are the site’s links? If many of the links no longer work, the many of the links no longer work, the site may be too dated for your site may be too dated for your purposes.purposes.

Page 14: Researched Writing Evaluating Sources. Evaluating All Sources Evaluating All Sources Signs of bias Signs of bias Assessing an argument Assessing an argument

ON THE WEBON THE WEB

For links to resources that will help you For links to resources that will help you evaluate sources you find on the evaluate sources you find on the Web, Web,

go to: go to: www.dianahacker.com/bedhandbookwww.dianahacker.com/bedhandbook

and click on > Links Libraryand click on > Links Library

>Conducting Research>Conducting Research