Identify Bias How To Evaluate Information Sources Research Guides

This is how the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines bias: BENT , TENDENCY: an inclination of temperament or outlook; especially: a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment: PREJUDICE: an instance of such prejudice i.e., (1): deviation of the expected value of a statistical estimate from... or from Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition: Exhibiting bias: biased, one-sided, partisan, prejudiced, prejudicial, prepossessed, tendentious. See LIKE, STRAIGHT. 2.

Disposed to favor one over another: favorable, preferential. When it comes to modern media like news, advertising and the Internet, bias on demand has become the profession of spin-doctors who specialize in spinning anything negative into something positive. It's important to understand & be able to identify bias when you are researching because it helps you see the purpose of a source and determine the reliability and accuracy of the information. Use the following questions to help you identify bias: Whether it's a book, journal article, website or photograph, sources are influenced by the ideas of the person who created them. Any type of source you look at will reflect the society and time in which it was created.

So, it's useful to think about the events, people, ideas - or historical context - that surround it. Writers, artists, historians, photographers and other creators will sometimes use their work to persuade people about a particular viewpoint or interpretation of an idea or event. So, it's important to work out why the resource was created. Use the links below to discover where your favorite news source falls on the political spectrum and the bias it may have. Bias is a leaning or prejudice in favor of or against one side, person, item, or group compared with another, often in an unfair manner. Since anyone can write and publish anything, we have articles that focus on legitimate research and reporting and we have articles filled with lies, "fake news", and propaganda.

Authors of scholarly and research-oriented articles (Scholarship) seek to identify the truth as they understand it. All authors (and publications) have a Bias, some write to that bias and others try to be more balanced in their writing. When the author focuses on persuasion using bias, emotional appeals and distortion of facts, the article enters the category of Propaganda. The University of Michigan Library offers an excellent chart on: Indicators of Scholarship vs. Indicators of Propaganda

While scholarship and objective news reporting is created with a focus on the ideal of truth, propaganda actively seeks to influence through the use of deception. Presenting a point of view is different from deliberately using psychological techniques to shape the opinion of others. E.S.C.A.P.E - The acronym for evaluating information explained Evidence - Do the facts hold up? Look for information you can verify. Source - Who made this, and can I trust them? Trace who has touched the story.

Context - What's the big picture? Consider if this is the whole story and weigh other forces surrounding it. Audience - Who is the intended audience? Look for attempts to appeal to specific groups or types of people. Purpose - Why was this made? Look for clues to the motivation.

MSU Library P.O. Box 173320 Centennial Mall Bozeman, MT 59717-3320 Administration (406) 994-3119 Service Desk (406) 994-3139 Bias is when a statement reflects a partiality, preference, or prejudice for or against a person, object, or idea. Unless otherwise noted the content on this LibGuide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Many tend to search for information the CONFIRMS what they believe rather than INFORM what they do not know or a different point of view.

Bias is not just found in news reporting. Sometimes scholarly articles also fall victim to bias and articles will be redacted. Be wary of any sort of bias or slant - political, religious, etc. Is the author affiliated with some organization that would have a vested interest in swaying your opinion? Is the language calm and neutral or inflammatory? From the many volumes and electronic resources that you have access to through the Harvard library system to the many resources available on the Web, finding information has never been easier.

But at times, the sheer volume of information available to you can be overwhelming: How will you know which sources to rely on? How will you decide which sources are appropriate for a particular assignment? How can you determine if the data on a website is trustworthy? What's the difference between what a peer-reviewed journal offers and what a website like Wikipedia offers? Although the most useful sources for a given assignment will depend on the assignment itself, as well as on the kinds of sources generally relied upon in your field of study, there are some... Once you determine whether a source is worth looking at, you'll still need to figure out what you will do with it in your paper, how to cite the information and ideas you draw...

When you write for an academic audience, you are responsible for making sure that any information you provide and any ideas you cite come from sources that are both reliable and appropriate for your... The most reliable sources are those that have been vetted by scholars in the field—articles published in peer-reviewed journals and books published by academic publishers. No matter what you're working on, keep in mind that not all sources are appropriate for your project; just because someone has written something down doesn't mean it is a reliable source. Before you decide to rely on a source, you should evaluate the source and decide whether it is appropriate to use in your paper. You should always determine the qualifications of the author, the purpose of the source (that is, in what context it was created), the scope of the source (what it covers and in what depth),... To find scholarly sources using UBC Library, go to:

To find subject specific scholarly sources using UBC Library, go to: You will need to evaluate each resource you use for research, whether it is an online or print journal article, a website, a book, a newspaper article, or other source that you want to... Use the questions in this guide to analyze materials and to assess how appropriate they will be for your research. Keep in mind that many publications have a particular bias or agenda, which may not be obvious at first glance. Don't expect to be able to answer every question, all the time, for all information resources you look at. Rather, try to use the questions as a tool to help you look at sources critically.

Library Hours Call 864.592.4764 Text 864.756.8008 Ask a Question Make an Appointment Bias is everywhere. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate bias to determine if it is negatively influencing your research. Here are some questions to ask. Be careful to avoid bias when researching. For example, watch how you word your research question.

Consider these two research questions: How does social media influence teenagers? The first question uses the word "harm," which means the researcher will just be looking for evidence that shows social media harms teenagers. In contrast, the second question provides space for the researcher to potentially find evidence for the positive and negative influences of social media.

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