Skills Lesson: Gathering and Evaluating Sources

nalyze the images below and answer the question that follows. Front cover: / Copyright information: / Table of contents: / In order to evaluate the authorship of this book properly, what or whom should you research primarily?

NOT Dr. William Haseltine

The description below is based on an actual author bio found at the bottom of a website. Evaluate the author's credentials based on the description and answer the question that follows. Robert Smith is the world's first human cloning activist. Mr. Smith founded the world's first pro-human cloning group on February 26, 1997, immediately after the announcement of Dolly's birth. He also organized the first demonstration in support of human cloning on Saturday, March 1, 1997. He has appeared on numerous TV shows and radio programs in support of human cloning. Based on the author's background, which of the following might be found in the articles on a website authored by Robert Smith?

NOT emotion-arousing language against human cloning

Analyze the screenshots below and complete the statement that follows. The publisher is most likely __________.

Purdue University

Read the excerpt below from the essay "Gene Therapy or Genetic Enhancement" and answer the question that follows. "Enhancement" refers to any alteration that improves the normal bodily organization, function, health, and appearance. For example, taking steroids, undergoing plastic surgery to improve one's looks, or altering one's genes to improve the physical abilities of future children are all examples of enhancement. Which statement is most accurate?

The passage contains a fact that must be supported by evidence.

Analyze the screenshot of an author's credentials and answer the question that follows. If an author with the above credentials wrote an article titled "Conducting Primary Research," would you consider it a credible source? Yes, the author has studied and published within the topic.

Yes, the author has studied and published within the topic.

Read the information below and answer the question that follows. While conducting research on cloning, you find a website that you are considering using. / At the bottom of the "Contact Us" page, you find the following piece of information: / Based on the information above, is the website a credible source of information?

Yes, the website is sponsored by a government agency.

Before you evaluate the content of the sources, evaluate the __________ information.

bibliographic

If a source appears credible based on the bibliographic information, what should you do next?

evaluate the content of the source

Read the description below and answer the question that follows. People magazine is an attractive, colorful magazine that contains many images. The articles, generally about pop culture or celebrities, are short and often not cited. The language is simple; the purpose is to entertain, sell, and promote. Based on the description above, what kind of magazine is People?

popular

Read the description below and answer the question that follows. The American Economic Review has been producing articles on a range of economic topics since 1911. In order to be considered for publication, articles must be original work not published anywhere else and must fully reference all works consulted. Each article must also reference all prior work on the same subject and compare itself to all prior work. Articles are carefully reviewed and include abstracts. Based on the description and image above, what kind of magazine is The American Economic Review?

scholarly