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SA 3 Assessment of Sources.html

SA 3: Yelp Me! Rating the Sources

       Where to eat? There are dozens of options. How do we know who has the best BBQ or the best Pad Thai? Where do I find the best hummus or Creme Brulee?  Sometimes we take a chance and we get lucky and find something awesome. Sometimes we take a recommendation from a friend and sometimes we take a recommendation from a total stranger i.e. an online review.

Research in the Internet Age is sometimes like finding something good to eat. It is relatively easy to find something we are looking for thanks to search engines like Google and Summon (MTC database). But how good is it? 

The need for digital due diligence is critical to anything from building a successful business reputation to creating ethos and support for an argument.  Part of that diligence is examining our sources in a variety of ways, not just for accuracy. 

      A successful argument often relies on reliable, credible sources among other traits. These sources may be primary sources such as firsthand accounts or they may be secondary sources which are sources that respond to, analyze, or interpret a primary source or its subject matter. No matter if the source is primary or secondary, the research must be valid. In this assignment, each student will find three sources from the categories below to evaluate.  Students should determine the credibility of each source using the SIFT method and/or CRAAP method the ideas presented in Ch. 15.  Each evaluation should be 1+ paragraphs and provide enough detail to determine the validity of each site/source. The easiest way is to simply go through each element of SIFT, writing a few sentences for each element of evaluation. Each source should also be scored on a scale of 1--10 (10 being the highest). Some bias in each source is to be expected. It is your task to determine if the bias is acceptable or disqualifies the source for use for an academic assignment.

List of sources for evaluation based on area of content:

MEDICAL SOURCES:  ("Would I use this for a medical source in an academic argument?)

• Dr. Joseph Mercola 
• Osteopathic.org
• Dr. Idz
• Natural Wellness Center
• Dr. Oz
• Homeopet.com

       HISTORICAL OR CURRENT EVENTS EXPERTISE ("Would I use this for background or as a news source in an academic argument?)

• Palmer Report
• Mark Weber, historian
• Dr. Jordan Peterson
• Institute for Historical Review
• https://slate.com/
• https://dineshdsouza.com/
• https://www.aljazeera.com/
• The Daily Wire

SCIENCE EXPERTISE ("Would I use this for a conventional science source in an academic argument?)

• DHMO.org
• Christopher Booker
• To The Stars
• Power Technology
• Erich von Däniken

Additional Details

• The SA response should be in MLA 9 format and 1.5+ pages. Anything less than 1.5 pages would not provide enough detail on the issue. Review Sample Essay (347-356) in LT for MLA 9 format guidelines.
• Avoid overusing first-person pronouns such as "I" and "my". While you will need them for this essay, if you can write the sentence without their use it makes a more assertive statement. 
  • EX:  OK- I think the Supreme Court should be replaced every twelve years. Better:  The Supreme Court should be replaced every twelve years.
• Works Cited page is required. It should include the three sources you evaluated for this assignment.
• There is a sample SA 3 in the Student Model Portfolio.

Submit Assignment

When SA 3 is complete, please submit it to dropbox SA 3: Assessment of Sources.

Late Assignment

Late Assignments are accepted no later than 48 hours after the original deadline.

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