Taking sides

1

• Taking sides
• Take apart an argument
• Assumptions biases
• Argue from different sides

2

• 1. Take apart an argument
• How Empirical Is the Presentation?
• Supports its thesis by referring to relevant,
  accurate, and up-to-date data from the best
  sources
• Original secondary sources

3

• Does the Author Oversimplify the Issue?
• Ignore opposite viewpoints

4

• Are Analogies Faulty?
• Analogies usually ignore many differences ?

5

• 2. Assumptions biases
• What Is Fact? What Is Opinion?
• Facts are generally empirically determined from
  research
• Opinions are a product of the writers biases
  and personal system of beliefs.

6

• Is Information Distorted?
• Question the bias involved in obtaining and
  presenting data

7

• Is Propaganda Being Used?
• Look at the authors background or some of the
  motivations and editorial policies

8

• Argue from different sides
• What Cause/Effect Relationships are Proposed?
• Isolate the claim and examine the relationship

9

• Are These Cause/Effect Relationships Merely
  Correlations?
• Cause/effect statements are flawed if no
  appropriate research or evidence has isolated a
  single cause
• generate alternative plausible hypotheses for
  any proposed cause/effect relationship