Evaluating Sources

In the following scenarios, consider the authority of each source before deciding whether or not to use it. Choose the source most likely to have accurate, detailed, up-to-date information for each situation. Write your responses using your notes. When are finished, check your understanding to see how you did.

1. You are trying to decide which college will be the best bargain for the money. You should consult—

   a. brochures from the colleges you think you might attend
   b. the College Board’s Web site for a comparison of colleges and universities
   c. a student currently enrolled at your top choice college

2. Your mother wants reliable, current information on the gas mileage of compact cars. Her best resource is—

   a. a report in Autoweek magazine
   b. a commercial on television for a car she likes
   c. an article in Reader’s Digest

3. You need information on anorexia for a research paper you’re writing in your psychology class. You will find the best information in—

   a. an article on dieting in Seventeen magazine
   b. an article titled “A Genetic Link to Anorexia” in Monitor on Psychology
   c. an encyclopedia entry on anorexia

4. You are worried about a friend’s obsession with playing violent video games. To gain an in-depth understanding of the issue, you could consult—

   a. a Washington Post newspaper article—“Dissecting Columbine’s Cult of the Athlete”
   b. a CBS Evening News report on the relationship between video games and violence
   c. an article about video games and violence on the GameSpot website

5. Your history teacher assigns you to write a research paper on the “History of the Use and Abuse of Presidential Power.” The best source is—

   a. a book written by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter
   b. a CNN news report on the current administration
   c. a book written by a University of Kansas professor of public administration

Check Your Understanding Sample Responses:

 

1. Correct Answer: B.
   Answers A and C would not provide enough objective information.
   
2. Correct answer: A.
   Answer B would be biased and offer incomplete information; C would be insufficient and possibly outdated because Reader’s Digest only prints excerpts and not always in a timely manner.
   
3. Correct answer: B.
   Answer A would likely encourage girls to eat less; C would contain common knowledge, not helpful evidence.
   
4. Correct answer: A.
   Answer B wouldn’t offer enough in-depth information due to its time limits; C would be a biased resource and wouldn’t discuss the connection between violence and video games objectively.
   
5. Correct answer: C.
   Answer A would be a biased and limited report; B would be too superficial and limited in scope.
   

 

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