KYVL: Information Skills Tutorial, Unit 4: Objectivity and Bias
Objectivity
Information Skills Tutorial
Unit 4: Evaluation of Sources
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 Unit 4 Contents 
Topic: Objectivity and Bias

Overview
Lesson



Overview

Objectivity should be one of your criteria for choosing quality sources. Most of the time you will want accurate, objective information for your research projects, and you will avoid using information that’s one-sided, deceptive, or manipulative.

However, in some cases you may purposely seek out biased material — for example, you wish to explain the point of view of an advocacy group, or you need to investigate both sides of a controversial issue. In either case, it is helpful to know what to look for when evaluating sources for objectivity.


Lesson

For some topics, most sources will be biased. For others many of the relevant sources will be objective. For most topics the sources will fall somewhere in the middle.

In which catagory would you place each of the topics listed below?

MOSTLY BIASED MIXED MOSTLY OBJECTIVE

1. flight patterns of migratory geese
2. urban growth boundaries
3. abortion
4. chemical reactions
5. nuclear reactors

Unit 4: 4 of 13


Last Updated: 05/25/2000
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