
Evaluating objectivity
Issue | Strategies |
Does the author state the goals for this publication? (i.e. to inform, explain, educate, advocate, persuade or dissuade, sell a product or service, or serve as a soapbox?)
| Read the foreword, preface, abstract and/or introduction |
Does the author exhibit a particular bias? (i.e. commitment to a point of view, acknowledgement of bias,
presentation of facts and arguments for only one side of a controversial issue, language full of emotion-arousing words and bias?)
| - Read the abstract and/or introduction
- Examine the work for
- Inflammatory language
- Images or graphic styles (e.g., text in color or boldface type) to persuade you of the author's point of view
- Propaganda
- Author's arguments or supporting facts
- Author's conclusions
- Bibliography that includes multiple points of view
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Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched?
(i.e. reasonable assumptions and conclusions, arguments and conclusions supported by evidence , opposing points of view addressed, opinions not disguised as facts, cited sources authoritative?)
(i.e. to inform, explain, educate,
| - Verify facts and statistics with a reliable source
- Examine cited sources for authority and objectivity
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