Week 3: Discussion Question 1

Without a fairly good understanding of a topic it can be very difficult to initially determine a source's biases.  The only way to mitigate this is to look at other resources, especially those that present a different point of view, so that you can possess enough information on the topic to better see any biases.  On the other hand there can be some clear indicators within the text that can indicate a strong bias such a a strong leaning to one position or a failure to address an opposing opinion.

It is important to consider a source's bias to see if you are getting accurate information.  Furthermore, if a source is heavily slanted then, most likely, only part of the information is provided, and more research is needed to better understand the topic.  Also, a heavily slanted resource is indicative that it is probably not a quality, academic resource suitable for a paper.

© Erik Smith 2005
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