evaluating credible and scholarly scientific sources 1

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    Evaluating Credible and Scholarly Scientific Sources
    Week Two Assignment
    In this assignment you will examine three different sources – one source that would be considered scholarly one source that is credible but not scholarly and one source that would not be considered credible for use in an academic paper. After completing a worksheet on each source can you identify which is which?
    Instructions
    When looking up various scientific topics including the example topic this week on technology and food production in the U.S. you will find all kinds of information out there. Not all of it is reliable. In order to determine if a source provides credible information you will need to take the time to evaluate that source first before you can trust its content. Who is the intended audience of the source? Who is the author or publisher and what is their purpose for publishing the resource? These are examples of the questions you will want to ask yourself when evaluating a source.
    Examine these three sources and fill out the following worksheet for each one. You will be determining what type of source it is (scholarly credible non-scholarly and non-credible) its level of credibility and its possible value or use within the scientific conversation about technology and agriculture in the U.S.
    To help you determine the credibility of a source refer this quick video tutorial on Evaluating Sources for Credibility. Additionally consult the strategies outlined in the CRAAP TEST. Keep in mind that you are evaluating the sources themselves and not the content within the source or whether you agree with the positions or statements that are expressed within the source. Please write your answers in complete sentences.
    Source Links
    Source #1: http://www.saynotogmos.org/
    Source #2: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0064879
    Source #3: https://www.loc.gov/law/help/restrictions-on-gmos/usa.php
    Source #1
    1. What best describes the information within this source (choose all that apply):
    Formal report of a study or academic analysis of an issue
    Fact sheet / data / statistics
    News
    Government or organizational website
    Opinion piece: expert? Journalist? amateur?
    Anecdote / personal experience
    Propaganda
    What led you to choose this answer? Provide evidence or examples from the text.
    2. Currency: For this topic is the information
    Up to date
    Outdated
    Not sure (explain):
    3. The purpose of the information is to:
    Inform
    Persuade
    Entertain
    Sell
    Other:
    What led you to choose this answer?Provide evidence or examples from the text.
    4. Does the author provide reliable evidence to back up his or her assertions? How do you know? (Tip: Look for references within the text or presented as a list. Ask yourself if the references are formally formatted and if they add weight and credibility to the discussion.)
    5. Who published this source?
    The author himself/herself An academic journal
    A magazine A professional organization
    A government entity Other(explain):
    6. The point of view of this source seems to be
    Objective and impartial
    Biased
    How did you make this determination? Provide a specific example from the source.
    7. Authority: What is/are the author(s)s credentials? Does he or she have college degrees?
    Experience related to the topic? A job in the field? Previously published work in this area?
    8. Based on the information above do you feel the target audience for this source is or could be an
    academic one? Why or why not?
    9. Based solely on the information you have learned about this source and not its content do you
    think this is a credible source? Explain why or why not.
    10. In my opinion this source is
    Scholarly
    Non-scholarly and credible
    Non-scholarly and not credible
    Source #2
    1. What best describes the information within this source (choose all that apply):
    Formal report of a study or academic analysis of an issue
    Fact sheet / data / statistics
    News
    Government or organizational website
    Opinion piece: expert? Journalist? amateur?
    Anecdote / personal experience
    Propaganda
    What led you to choose this answer? Provide evidence or examples from the text.
    2. Currency: For this topic is the information
    Up to date
    Outdated
    Not sure (explain):
    3. The purpose of the information is to:
    Inform
    Persuade
    Entertain
    Sell
    Other:
    What led you to choose this answer?Provide evidence or examples from the text.
    4. Does the author provide reliable evidence to back up his or her assertions? How do you know? Tip: Look for references within the text or presented as a list. Ask yourself if the references are formally formatted and if they add weight and credibility to the discussion.)
    5. Who published this source?
    The author himself/herself An academic journal
    A magazine A professional organization
    A government entity Other(explain):
    6. The point of view of this source seems to be
    Objective and impartial
    Biased
    How did you make this determination? Provide a specific example from the source.
    7. Authority: What is/are the author(s)s credentials? Does he or she have college degrees?
    Experience related to the topic? A job in the field? Previously published work in this area?
    8. Based on the information above do you feel the target audience for this source is or could be an
    academic one? Why or why not?
    9. Based solely on the information you have learned about this source and not its content do you
    think this is a credible source? Explain why or why not.
    10. In my opinion this source is
    Scholarly
    Non-scholarly and credible
    Non-scholarly and not credible
    Source #3
    1. What best describes the information within this source (choose all that apply):
    Formal report of a study or academic analysis of an issue
    Fact sheet / data / statistics
    News
    Government or organizational website
    Opinion piece: expert? Journalist? amateur?
    Anecdote / personal experience
    Propaganda
    What led you to choose this answer? Provide evidence or examples from the text.
    2. Currency: For this topic is the information
    Up to date
    Outdated
    Not sure (explain):
    3. The purpose of the information is to:
    Inform
    Persuade
    Entertain
    Sell
    Other:
    What led you to choose this answer?Provide evidence or examples from the text.
    4. Does the author provide reliable evidence to back up his or her assertions? How do you know? (Tip: Look for references within the text or presented as a list. Ask yourself if the references are formally formatted and if they add weight and credibility to the discussion.)
    5. Who published this source?
    The author himself/herself An academic journal
    A magazine A professional organization
    A government entity Other(explain):
    6. The point of view of this source seems to be
    Objective and impartial
    Biased
    How did you make this determination? Provide a specific example from the source.
    7. Authority: What is/are the author(s)s credentials? Does he or she have college degrees?
    Experience related to the topic? A job in the field? Previously published work in this area?
    8. Based on the information above do you feel the target audience for this source is or could be an
    academic one? Why or why not?
    9. Based solely on the information you have learned about this source and not its content do you
    think this is a credible source? Explain why or why not.
    10. In my opinion this source is
    Scholarly
    Non-scholarly and credible
    Non-scholarly and not credible

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