Monday, February 16, 2015
GOOD EVIDENCE VS BAD EVIDENCE
When it comes to gathering data or evidence in this case for a paper it is very important to gather your data or evidence from credible resources. Students usually want to finish their paper as fast as possible with the least amount of effort or work possible. The first step they take is usually the Google search, and of course the majority of the time your Wikipedia of the search will pop up. This is the easiest source for the student to use so they go to reading and sriting immediately. Wikipedia can be a starting point to at least get you familiar with the subject then enhance your search and find credible sources. The best source when searching is the Google Scholar search. An example of good evidence or data is reading the articles and evaluating the credentials of the author who wrote the journal or article, usually if the author is credible he has been referenced many times within other articles. Another mistake students make is immediatley referncing or utilizing the data when statistics are given. This is also not a great tool because when statistics are given, we never know if the numbers are biased. There is a chance that the data was derived from a biased source in return relaying the numbers. The only way to really use statistics is when you know where the numbers derived from and what models were used to get these numebrs. The final say of good vs bad evidence is really also in the eyes of the reader, what the reader want to believe and what the reader wants to either disoute or just flat out not believe.
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You're right Scotty! I usually want to finish a writing assignment as quickly and as painlessly as possible and I'll admit Google search was always my default search engine. I wouldn't use Wikipedia because it's not the most reliable resource so Google Scholar is the better alternative. Although I'm new to it I like the information that is right there after you have put in what you're searching for. It tells you how many times that particular piece was cited, other articles that are related to the topic (my favorite) and if there is more than one version of the piece you are reading. Checking if the author of a particular article or journal was referenced by other credible authors is a good tip but how would I go about doing that? The reader believing what he or she wants to believe also a good point.
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