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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

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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