{"id":120,"date":"2018-10-04T19:36:03","date_gmt":"2018-10-04T19:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=120"},"modified":"2018-12-11T15:33:47","modified_gmt":"2018-12-11T15:33:47","slug":"critical-thinking","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/chapter\/critical-thinking\/","title":{"raw":"Information Analysis","rendered":"Information Analysis"},"content":{"raw":"Information analysis is an important part of research; it's also a critical thinking skill.\u00a0 When you research, you'll need to\u00a0evaluate the information you find, in order to make sure that it's from an appropriate source. The two main questions you should ask yourself when evaluating source information\u00a0are:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Is this source suitable?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Is this source trustworthy?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nSuitable sources:\r\n<ul type=\"disc\">\r\n \t<li>contain facts\/opinions\/illustrations\/data that support and directly relate to your focus<\/li>\r\n \t<li>clearly explain their information<\/li>\r\n \t<li>were written by a well known authority or expert<\/li>\r\n \t<li>carefully cite the sources they used<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nUnsuitable sources:\r\n<ul type=\"disc\">\r\n \t<li>are not\u00a0related, or are only tangentially related,\u00a0to your focus<\/li>\r\n \t<li>may be too narrow or too broad in coverage of your topic; may be very general and\u00a0not\u00a0from a scholarly journal or peer-reviewed source<\/li>\r\n \t<li>are out of date; do not reflect current viewpoints in the field, if currency is important to your focus<\/li>\r\n \t<li>do not cite the sources they used<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nTrustworthy sources:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>are current<\/li>\r\n \t<li>are written by experts in the field<\/li>\r\n \t<li>are accurate and attempt to offer information in an unbiased way<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nUntrustworthy sources:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>may contain outdated and\/or inaccurate information<\/li>\r\n \t<li>have unknown authors (as with some websites) or authors who are not knowledgeable in the field in which they are writing<\/li>\r\n \t<li>try to persuade by relying on bias, emotion, or tactics other than logic<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nView the following video, which clearly identifies a variety of questions to ask in order\u00a0to evaluate sources.\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/youtu.be\/WC7byVybj9Y[\/embed]\r\n\r\nThe last items in the lists for trustworthiness, dealing with how information is presented (accuracy, bias), are important when analyzing\u00a0information.\u00a0\u00a0Does the information contain any factual errors?\u00a0 Does the information\u00a0try to persuade by appealing to the reader's emotions instead of logic?\u00a0 Does the information try to persuade by saying things such as\u00a0\"every rational person agrees\" and thus implying that if you do not agree, you're not a \"rational person?\" These strategies are logical errors.\u00a0 You need to make sure that the information you're using is free of the main types of logical errors:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><span class=\"s1\">errors relating to credibility, which\u00a0may unfairly build up the credibility of the author (or his allies) or unfairly attack the credibility of the author\u2019s opponent (or her allies)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">errors\u00a0relating to emphasis, which may\u00a0give an unfair advantage to the claims of the speaker or writer, or an unfair disadvantage to his opponent\u2019s claims<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span class=\"s1\"><span class=\"s1\">errors relating to emotion, which\u00a0rely excessively upon emotional appeals, attaching positive associations to the author\u2019s argument and negative ones to her opponent\u2019s position<\/span><\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3>initial learning activity<\/h3>\r\nResearch\u00a04 different types of sources related to the topic of adult learners:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>a general online encyclopedia, such as Wikipedia<\/li>\r\n \t<li>a website sponsored by a professional organization<\/li>\r\n \t<li>an article in a general interest magazine<\/li>\r\n \t<li>an article in a scholarly journal<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nAnalyze the type of information in each source for suitability, trustworthiness, and logic\/logical errors.\r\n\r\n<strong>Submit:<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>a list of your 4 sources, with their web addresses and\/or citation information<\/li>\r\n \t<li>your analysis of each source<\/li>\r\n \t<li>a brief discussion of how you might \u2014 or why you might not \u2014 use each of these sources if you were writing a research paper<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\r\n<h3>in-depth learning activity<\/h3>\r\nRead the article \"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.utne.com\/environment\/eating-meat-for-the-environment-pasture-beef\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eating Meat for the Environment<\/a>,\" by Lisa Hamilton.\u00a0 Analyze the information in this article in terms of suitability, trustworthiness, and logic\/logical errors.\u00a0 Note that this article was written as a general interest piece, not as a scholarly one.\r\n\r\nThen explain what would need to be 1) addressed and 2) added if the author wanted to turn this into a suitable, trustworthy, logical article for a scholarly journal. (2-3 pages)\r\n\r\nIn addition to your explanation, create an example of what would be needed, as though you were the author and were revising this piece, for half of the items you identified as needing to be addressed and added. (2-3 pages)\r\n\r\n<strong>Submit:<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>explanation of what would be needed to turn this into an article for a scholarly journal<\/li>\r\n \t<li>example addressing half of the items needed<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Related college Learning Goals<\/h3>\r\n<strong>Critical Thinking and Problem Solving:<\/strong> Evaluate, analyze, synthesize and critique key concepts and experiences, and apply diverse perspectives to find creative solutions to problems concerning human behavior, society and the natural world.\r\n\r\n<strong>Information and Digital Media Literacy:<\/strong> Critically access, evaluate, understand, create and share information using a range of collaborative technologies to advance learning, as well as personal and professional development.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p style=\"font-size: small\">For more information, see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esc.edu\/policies\/?search=cid%3D61278\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">College Learning Goals Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<p>Information analysis is an important part of research; it&#8217;s also a critical thinking skill.\u00a0 When you research, you&#8217;ll need to\u00a0evaluate the information you find, in order to make sure that it&#8217;s from an appropriate source. The two main questions you should ask yourself when evaluating source information\u00a0are:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Is this source suitable?<\/li>\n<li>Is this source trustworthy?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Suitable sources:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>contain facts\/opinions\/illustrations\/data that support and directly relate to your focus<\/li>\n<li>clearly explain their information<\/li>\n<li>were written by a well known authority or expert<\/li>\n<li>carefully cite the sources they used<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Unsuitable sources:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>are not\u00a0related, or are only tangentially related,\u00a0to your focus<\/li>\n<li>may be too narrow or too broad in coverage of your topic; may be very general and\u00a0not\u00a0from a scholarly journal or peer-reviewed source<\/li>\n<li>are out of date; do not reflect current viewpoints in the field, if currency is important to your focus<\/li>\n<li>do not cite the sources they used<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Trustworthy sources:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>are current<\/li>\n<li>are written by experts in the field<\/li>\n<li>are accurate and attempt to offer information in an unbiased way<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Untrustworthy sources:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>may contain outdated and\/or inaccurate information<\/li>\n<li>have unknown authors (as with some websites) or authors who are not knowledgeable in the field in which they are writing<\/li>\n<li>try to persuade by relying on bias, emotion, or tactics other than logic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>View the following video, which clearly identifies a variety of questions to ask in order\u00a0to evaluate sources.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-1\" title=\"Evaluating Sources to Find Quality Research\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WC7byVybj9Y?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The last items in the lists for trustworthiness, dealing with how information is presented (accuracy, bias), are important when analyzing\u00a0information.\u00a0\u00a0Does the information contain any factual errors?\u00a0 Does the information\u00a0try to persuade by appealing to the reader&#8217;s emotions instead of logic?\u00a0 Does the information try to persuade by saying things such as\u00a0&#8220;every rational person agrees&#8221; and thus implying that if you do not agree, you&#8217;re not a &#8220;rational person?&#8221; These strategies are logical errors.\u00a0 You need to make sure that the information you&#8217;re using is free of the main types of logical errors:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">errors relating to credibility, which\u00a0may unfairly build up the credibility of the author (or his allies) or unfairly attack the credibility of the author\u2019s opponent (or her allies)<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">errors\u00a0relating to emphasis, which may\u00a0give an unfair advantage to the claims of the speaker or writer, or an unfair disadvantage to his opponent\u2019s claims<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><span class=\"s1\">errors relating to emotion, which\u00a0rely excessively upon emotional appeals, attaching positive associations to the author\u2019s argument and negative ones to her opponent\u2019s position<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3>initial learning activity<\/h3>\n<p>Research\u00a04 different types of sources related to the topic of adult learners:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>a general online encyclopedia, such as Wikipedia<\/li>\n<li>a website sponsored by a professional organization<\/li>\n<li>an article in a general interest magazine<\/li>\n<li>an article in a scholarly journal<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Analyze the type of information in each source for suitability, trustworthiness, and logic\/logical errors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Submit:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a list of your 4 sources, with their web addresses and\/or citation information<\/li>\n<li>your analysis of each source<\/li>\n<li>a brief discussion of how you might \u2014 or why you might not \u2014 use each of these sources if you were writing a research paper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>in-depth learning activity<\/h3>\n<p>Read the article &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.utne.com\/environment\/eating-meat-for-the-environment-pasture-beef\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eating Meat for the Environment<\/a>,&#8221; by Lisa Hamilton.\u00a0 Analyze the information in this article in terms of suitability, trustworthiness, and logic\/logical errors.\u00a0 Note that this article was written as a general interest piece, not as a scholarly one.<\/p>\n<p>Then explain what would need to be 1) addressed and 2) added if the author wanted to turn this into a suitable, trustworthy, logical article for a scholarly journal. (2-3 pages)<\/p>\n<p>In addition to your explanation, create an example of what would be needed, as though you were the author and were revising this piece, for half of the items you identified as needing to be addressed and added. (2-3 pages)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Submit:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>explanation of what would be needed to turn this into an article for a scholarly journal<\/li>\n<li>example addressing half of the items needed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Related college Learning Goals<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Critical Thinking and Problem Solving:<\/strong> Evaluate, analyze, synthesize and critique key concepts and experiences, and apply diverse perspectives to find creative solutions to problems concerning human behavior, society and the natural world.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Information and Digital Media Literacy:<\/strong> Critically access, evaluate, understand, create and share information using a range of collaborative technologies to advance learning, as well as personal and professional development.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: small\">For more information, see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esc.edu\/policies\/?search=cid%3D61278\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">College Learning Goals Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-120\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Information Analysis. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Susan Oaks. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Educational Planning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>video Evaluating Sources to Find Quality Research. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: PCC Library. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/WC7byVybj9Y\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/WC7byVybj9Y<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em>Other<\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: YouTube video<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":81366,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"video Evaluating Sources to Find Quality Research\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"PCC Library\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/WC7byVybj9Y\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"other\",\"license_terms\":\"YouTube video\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Information Analysis\",\"author\":\"Susan Oaks\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"Educational Planning\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-120","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":246,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81366"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1560,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/120\/revisions\/1560"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/246"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/120\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=120"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=120"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}