Marketing discussion board

Your initial post in this forum (Post 1) should be made between 12:01 AM Sunday and 11:59 PM Wednesday.  Your follow-up post in this forum (Post 2) should be made between 12:01 AM Thursday and 11:59 PM Saturday.  Please identify your submission as Post 1 or Post 2 in the subject line.  I do NOT accept late assignments.

Post 1

For “your country”, use secondary sources to compile the following categories of information for at least a 10-year (2006 to 2015) period.  Include the source information you used. It is your job to find the sources for this information.

1. Imports - List the top 3 import PRODUCTS ordered by US $ amounts

Source(s): _________________

2. Exports - List the top 3 export PRODUCTS order by US$ amounts

Source(s): _________________

3. Gross domestic product (US$)

Source(s): _________________

4. Population

Source(s): _________________

5. GDP per capita (US$)

Source(s): _________________

6. Unemployment rate (%)

Source(s): _________________

7. Inflation rate (%)

Source(s): _________________

Post 2

Before using any information source, especially if it is something from the Internet, you need to make a careful evaluation of it to ensure that the information it contains is reliable and appropriate.  One model used for evaluation purposes is called the “CRAAP Test.”  This model suggests five characteristics (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose) which must be evaluated before you accept a source.  The model can be found here: http://guides.library.duq.edu/ld.php?content_id=9125092 . 

Review the submissions your peers made in Post 1.  Choose one of your peer’s countries (a different one than you have used previously).  Compile the same information for their country that they did but you must use totally different secondary sources than they used.  Include the source information you used.  In what ways does the information you found differ from the information they found?

For one category of information where you differ, use the “CRAAP Test” to evaluate the sources.  Based on that evaluation, suggest which source of information is more likely to be reliable and appropriate.