RCR PROC1, PROC2,

L E S S O N S U M M A R Y

In this lesson, you will learn about the difference between fact and opin- ion. In addition, you will learn how to differentiate between accurate, objective information and that which is false and/or biased.

skeptic. Look at each resource with a critical eye to determine which ones you can trust and which you can’t.



F a c t Ve r s u s O p i n i o n

Facts are objective statements whose truth can be ver- ified. If a fact is true, then it is always true. For exam- ple, “Hawaii became a state in 1959.” It is simple to do some research to verify that Hawaii did, indeed, join the United States in that year. Newspaper articles are another example of facts. They are intended to be objective reports of occurrences. The opinion of the reporter should not interfere with, or be a part of, the article.

An opinion is a subjective statement based on personal beliefs. Therefore, they are never true for everyone. For example, “Hawaii is the most beautiful state in the country.” We know this is based on a per- sonal belief because of the word “beautiful,” which is subjective and therefore open to debate. There are many people who would disagree with the statement, choos- ing a different state as the most beautiful.

Practice

Label each statement as either (F) fact or (O) opinion. ___ 1. The Civil War started at Fort Sumter in 1861. ___ 2. Crème brulee is the most delicious dessert. ___ 3. I went to Minnesota for a vacation last year. ___ 4. Putting money in the stock market is a bad

idea. Answer 1. Fact 2. Opinion 3. Fact 4. Opinion 

Tr u s t i n g t h e S o u r c e

Not everyone who gives out information is telling the truth. Pretty obvious, you think, and many times you are right. You probably don’t take newspaper accounts of 400-year-old prophecies coming true seriously, even though you see them in print. But what about a docu- mentary that purports to reveal the same thing? Can you be fooled by the delivery of the information, with fancy sets and a well-known actor as narrator, to believ- ing what you might otherwise dismiss?

In order to trust the source of any information, you need to determine the agenda of the person or organization disseminating it. Are they simply trying to relay facts, or are they trying to get you to believe something or change your mind on a subject? It can be difficult to find a direct answer to that question; you can begin to get a clearer picture by looking into the following:

■ _{What are the author’s credentials on this sub-}

ject? Is he or she qualified to write on the topic based on background or education? For some subjects, it is acceptable to use information obtained from a hobbyist, self-proclaimed expert, or enthusiast, if you can verify it else- where. However, most factual information should be obtained from a reputable source. And since you need to verify anyway, why not use information, for instance, derived from Yale University’s Thomas Hardy Association, rather than from John Doe’s personal web page hom- age to his favorite writer?

■ _{Does the author document sources? Where do}

relevant facts and figures come from? If you are consulting print material, there should be foot- notes and a bibliography that show the author’s sources. On the Internet, you may also find such documentation, or sources may be docu-

mented by using links to other websites (see the section below on evaluating a website based on links). Even documentaries, to use a previous example, should cite sources in their credits.

■ _{Are the sources balanced and reputable? Pages}

of footnotes are meaningless if they simply indicate that the author used untrustworthy sources, too. Check some of the sources to ver- ify that they are accurate and unbiased. For example, a book on gun laws that relies heavily on material published by the National Rifle Association is not as reliable a source as another book on the subject that uses a wide variety of sources representing both sides of the issue.

■ _{What do others say about the author}

(whether individual or group)? A quick way to check for opinions is to “Google” the author. Simply put his or her name (or the name of the group if there is no individual author) in the search box on www.google.com. The results can be revealing. However, remember to read

them with a critical eye. If you are searching for someone with a radical or controversial view, you will probably find detractors. A handful should not deter you, but pages of negative information might.

Practice

Terrell has been assigned a term paper that will test how well he and his class have learned research skills. He must write objectively on the subject of U.S. Mili- tary spending and has been given a list of possible sources for information. Which source or sources will provide the most objective information? a. Congressional Budget Office

b. The National Rifle Association c. Alliance of Defense Contractors d. Center for World Peace

Answer

The best place for Terrell to look for balanced infor- mation is a, the Congressional Budget Office. It is what its name implies: a non-partisan organization that pro-