2018 Fall Student Newsletter. By: Avni Jain, Allison Athman, Danielle DeTuncq, and Christopher Meng

Transcription

1 2018 Fall Student Newsletter By: Avni Jain, Allison Athman, Danielle DeTuncq, and Christopher Meng 1

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3 Tips for getting more points on your packet! Use categories for step 1 and 3. The more different ones you use, the more points you get. Don t forget the topic, time, and place in step 2! If you have all 3 of those, you get all 3 points. Elaborate in step 3 by saying at least three of the following in each solution: who, what, when, where, why, or how. The more you make your criteria specific to the future scene and topic, the more likely you will get advanced points on the criteria. When filling out Step 5: ALoU, use your criteria from Step 4 to help generate Advantages and Limitations. Evaluating Source Accuracy: What makes Information Credible and Reliable? By: Danielle DeTuncq As an amateur writer, my most important task is to make sure that the reader leaves with a skill, a perspective, or some knowledge that they can apply or utilize in various life domains and scenarios. I think that FPS is an advantageous method for rationalizing our thought processes and fostering critical thinking in a manner which is universally applicable. In my writing as an FPS student board member, I hope to impart skills that are both germane to FPS and our everyday encounters with varied and challenging intellectual situations in the case of this article, evaluating information we are constantly bombarded with from myriad sources. With the advent of the internet, information has become more accessible and perhaps easier to discover, but with those benefits, isolating and identifying dependable sources has become increasingly challenging with exponentially

4 growing inundations of oftentimes ostensibly trustworthy data. As aspiring critical thinkers and problem solvers, it is our collective duty to differentiate between various types of information (remember: source quality isn t binary; rather, it s a gradient, and some sources may be reputable enough for use in certain tasks but inadequate for others and any combination thereof) and select the most fitting material for a given project. Source and Information Credibility Assessment Questions: Note: These questions are aimed at evaluating academic resources, but they can be applied to any search for rigorous, factual information. What is the purpose? To entertain or persuade the general public, provide information or report experimental or observational data, or communicate specific news, etc. This should be explicitly clear. Who are the authors? Are they respected and established in their field? Are they easily identifiable? Is there contact information? Have they written on similar topics? What are their credentials? Is the source thorough and in-depth? Greater than two pages. References and citations.

5 Is the source reputable? Is it published on a reputable, unbiased web site, or in a peerreviewed, scholarly journal, or newspaper, rather than on a blog or wiki? Is the source current for the topic? Does the source have an About Us section? Does it disclose funding? This enables judgement of viewpoint and purpose. A few Misconceptions: Affiliation is a definitive indicator of reliability. Even credible journals and publications can misjudge credibility (e.g. retractions). This compounds the importance of judging each writing by its own merits. Association is a valuable measurement of trustworthiness, but it cannot be a sole metric. An author s reputation and résumé are apt qualifiers for credibility. Seniority, publication record, and any number of reliability indicators are helpful for preliminary data sorting, but they are not the sole qualifiers for dependability, as they may belie sloppiness or unprofessional bias.

6 Persuasive writing is inherently unreliable. Rhetoric can be credible if there is authorial authority, engagement with contending opinions in a respectful, correctly construed manner, and if the selected information is, of course, factual. In fact, is extraordinarily rare for a given piece of writing to completely eliminate bias, and even if it does, that does not automatically grant it credence over persuasive writing; rhetoric can be similarly reputable, but it is prone to greater reliability errors due to its nature. Bottom line: heuristics are helpful for topical information searching from credible sources, but they should never be relied upon to ascertain absolute reliability. Tips: Web Domains: Government or Military (.gov or.mil) Generally among the most reliable sites. Be wary of political sites used to sway public opinion. University (.edu) Usually reliable. Check for credibility and authority. Company Website (.com) Useful for information about a particular company. Be aware that company websites are used for promotion, so check for bias.

7 Special Interest (.org) Many professional organizations. Also many organizations that are biased and promote a specific agenda. Beware of: Websites containing the suffix lo (e.g. Newslo) or that end in com.co Often present false information for satirical or other purposes. Amateurish design, ALL CAPS, and/or unprofessionally engaging in pathos. Memes on social media sites. Check legitimacy by searching for the content on a reputable source. Clickbait. This is characterized by sensational news or images created to increase traffic.

8 Burst your filter bubble : Web browsers and social media sites employ algorithms that feed information a particular consumer has shown a preference for. This "filter bubble" directs readers and viewers to news that tends to reinforce set views, rather than challenging consumers with new ideas. When conducting research, or simply attempting to form an opinion, it is important to view sources from different perspectives. Seek credible information from each side of the argument. E.g. Liberal and Conservative. Clear your history or use incognito mode to prevent future searches from being influenced by past searches. Discuss your opinions with those who hold differing ideas. Last thoughts from your student representatives: We are so excited to get this upcoming season started and would love to hear any input or suggestions from you guys! Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns related to FPS, and we will do our best to respond accordingly. Send your questions, comments and suggestions to: cheryl@mnfpsp.org and she ll be sure to forward them to us! Thank you!