Examining
the Motives and Qualifications
of
Authors
As good critical
readers, it is important to consider the motives and qualifications of
authors. Authors typically attempt to convince the reader that their
point of view is the correct one. When examining a text, the reader
should check to see if:
1) facts are provided.
2) the facts provided
have been selectively picked from a broader set of data or factual information
and limited to only those that support the author's opinion or bias.
3) the facts presented
explore perspectives other than the author's and examine different positions
and sides that can be taken in relation to the issue or argument.
4) the supporting
facts pertain to the point being made and prove or support the author's
opinions, arguments, or conclusions.
Regardless of the author's position and purpose, evidence should be provided to support statements and conclusions, and the sources for that evidence should be cited so readers can check out and judge accuracy of the facts themselves. When reading critically, readers must be alert to the many points of view that relate to a topic or issue and seek them out if the author does not acknowledge them. In additon, every author should establish the authority of their claims and arguments. If they don't, readers must!
Question Authority of Authors!
Are the facts straight
“From The Horse’s Mouth” or not?
How can you tell?
The only way is
to get into that "Horse’s Mouth" and Consider the Source!
Is the "Mouth of the Horse" and the author identifiable and reliable? Credible? Authoritative? How do you know?
Readers must check
qualifications, purposes, and authority of authors. If, for example,
the author of an article on abortion is a practicing physician, the reader
should ask critical questions such as: What is the physician's specialization?
Does the physician's training and practice in that area of specialization
give her/him credibility as an authority on the topic?Why is the author
writing this article? Does s/he have ties to pro-life or pro-choice
organizations? Has the author included a review of research or conducted
research projects to collect evidence that supports positions presented?
Is the author attempting to influence positions, choices, and actions taken
by readers?Critical readers always ask questions and proceed cautiously
when making decisions about a course of action indicated or promoted by
an author.
CredibilityUse the following criteria and questions as starters for evaluting the "Horse's Mouth"
and the motives and authority of all authors!
Purpose
What is the intent of the content? Is
the content popular or scholarly, humorous or serious? How do you know?
What is the purpose of the information?
If the document is published on the Internet, what is the URL extension
.edu, .com, .gov, or .org? What does this tell you about the source and
intent of the document? For tips on reading after the dot and between
the letters in extensions, go to
http://www.ithaca.edu/library/Training/hott.html#qa
and scroll down to Consider the Source.
Quality Assurance
If the publication is scholarly and serious,
did the document have to meet criteria for quality and credibility applied
by a “judge” or “jury” of experts or reviewers before it was published?
Has the accuracy been judged? Does the article appear in a “refereed” journal?
(If a scholarly journal is refereed or juried, the editors always
say so, usually on the front or back cover.)
Citations
Does the author provide sources for evidence
and give credit where credit is due? References or sources should be cited
to identify sources of information presented and of evidence used to support
arguments and claims. These citations give due credit to the author
and provide leads for further investigation and research. References allow
readers to check out and evaluate the sources and make up their own minds
about issues.
If works are cited, what kind are they? Are they secondary sources that are summaries and analyses of original works, research, and reports? Are they primary sources such as original and authentic texts, documents with first-hand or eyewitness accounts, and research reports?
Corroboration and
More Complete Information
Does the author identify and supply sources
for comparable and more complete information that corroborates and
supports claims? Some newspapers and magazines, for example, have partial
but not full text information. This “information in brief” format is
especially common for articles published on the Internet. Does the author
provide sources for full reports on the topic? Do you have to pay a subscription
fee to get to those full-text documents?
Publication or Copyright
Dates
Recency of publication is often a key
to accuracy because out-of-date information may be incomplete or just plain
wrong! Is the publication date for the article furnished? Is it recent
(no more than three to five years old)? If not, just how old is this piece
of work? What is the date of the most recent reference or cited source
for evidence that supports claims? Does the author have the latest, most
up-to-date, and most accurate information on the topic? If not, you may
need to keep looking!
Knowledge changes rapidly, especially when related to health and medical issues or science and technology, requiring that readers be able to critically evaluate accuracy of information. Use the criteria and questions above to evaluate the authority and accuracy for these two documents on AIDS.
Exhibit A
http://www.apla.org/apla/positiveliving/0799/hypnosis.html
Exhibit B
http://www.apla.org/apla/positiveliving/0299/tenstories.html
Which of these authors
provide evidence of credibility and authority and the accuracy of their
information?
Can you believe
what you read in either article?
Here are some Internet sites to explore.
Go to ICYouSee: T is for Thinking to find additional information and tips for evaluating the motives and credibility of authors, especially those who publish on the Internet.
For a real challenge and some fun, check out the Ig Nobel Prizes "Home Page" and puzzle your way through questions such as: Who is the author of this page? What are the author's purposes? Scroll down the page and click the link to Press Clippings that this page has received. Check out a couple. Can you believe them? Better yet, can you verify them? Are the recipients of the Ig Nobel Prizes actual people who really did DO these things? Are the tidbits of information down there at the very bottom of the page linked to "Did they really..." and the references in the descriptions of each prize recipient REALLY for real or just a joke?
As we explore the
many possibilities for evaluating and interpreting facts to find
the "truth," we become more divergent thinkers. Reading different authors
with different viewpoints strengthens and enriches our own informed stances
as readers, thinkers, decision-makers--if we know what to look for and
how to evaluate the credibility of those authors. QUESTION MOTIVES AND
AUTHORITY!