Deliverable 4- Presentation of Data

Presentation Material Bias

Credibility is the hallmark of factual information, verified through sources which do not lean towards a specific agenda; this is not to say that sources are not biased - a creator’s personal feelings about the world or certain issues can be difficult to identify. A good researcher will use multiple sources in his or her work in an attempt to negate bias. Often, a creator’s passion about a certain issue will destroy any impartiality or equality in their work. Sometimes this is unintentional, but for the most part, they are aware of what they are doing and intend to sway their audience to their point of view. The supporting sources for a biased creator are usually one-sided, and will rarely show any opposing views.

Circumstances such as this occur on a daily basis; news reporting, especially reports on political happenings is usually biased in one way or another, depending on the channel you are watching or the newspaper you are reading. One-sided reporting is commonplace and awareness of these inherent biases is essential.

The steps in determining presentation material bias include:

Step 1

· Question the information presented and investigate sources.

Step 2

· Learn about the primary source: job title, employer, occupation, and published articles.

Step 3

· Review the presentation's title for bias.

Step 4

· Determine the presenter's main points, look for plausibility and credible sources.

Step 5

· Determine if sources are primary or secondary. Research primary sources for bias.

Step 6

· Be wary of Internet sources such as Wikipedia.

A good presentation will contain references to source materials. As a responsible participant, you should question the information presented and investigate sources. The presenter’s personal feelings towards certain issues could override critical thinking, or the ability to scrutinize source data in a rational and detached manner. If the information conveyed could have an impact on your work or your life in general, it would be prudent to look for biases and investigate any listed sources.

To detect if any biases exist in the listed sources, first learn something about the background of the primary source such as job title, employer, occupation, and other published articles. If this information is not readily available in their work, perform a web search on their name. If there is no biographical information on the source, review the information presented and look for a variety of viewpoints on the covered issue. If the information is found to be one-sided, it is presumably also biased.

A presentation’s title can also indicate if the information presented is biased; the title “Company XYZ Procedures: Always the Same” indicates that there might be some bias in the presentation. Whereas “Company XYZ Procedures: Good or Bad” gives the impression that the presenter will be exploring both sides of the company’s procedures. Usually, the text following the colon will give the audience an indication of the presenter’s focus. In the process of developing a presentation, take care in developing a title. The title should be well balanced and unbiased; it will be the audience’s first impression of what the presentation will cover.

If biases can still not be detected, break down the presentation to determine the presenter’s main points, look for plausibility in the reasons used in creating the presentation, and investigate the sources referenced for relevant and reliable facts.

If any referenced sources come from the Internet, there might be cause for concern. The Internet is a great resource for researchers, but much of the content is false or misleading. If the source cited has numerous links, it is probably a secondary source. These links can lead to a primary source where the unique information originated. Secondary sources cited in any research or presentation are inappropriate because the content of secondary sources could contain second- or third-hand information that has been diluted or changed from the intent of the original primary source. Wikipedia or blog sites are good examples of secondary sources.

Wikipedia can be useful for generalized information, but not as a source. Many Wikipedia articles contain links that can be clicked on to drill down to credible sources. Wikipedia is editable by anyone who creates a login credential, and is therefore not necessarily credible information. Blogs usually have a personal agenda and should be avoided. Like Wikipedia, links in a blog can be drilled down and primary sources may be located this way.

Remember to always critique biases in presentations. To be rational and balanced, never take any information at face value. If the information conveyed can affect personal or the organization’s wellbeing, strive to uncover unbiased, factual information to rely upon, not someone else’s opinionated beliefs that potentially lack credibility.