Upload
najmunnisa72105
View
227
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 1/26
Evaluating a Text
By : Mrs . Najmunnisa
Siddiqui
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 2/26
Evaluating a Text� When reading a text, it is important to ask yourself
questions about the value of the text. .
� In evaluating the credibility of an information sourcethere are several key areas to consider:
� the Authority of the author and the publisher: Are theywell qualified to speak to the topic at hand?
� Audience :Who is the intended audience for theinformation being presented?the Objectivity of the author
� the Quality of the work� Coverage of the work
� Currency: How recently was the research done and thework published?
y Is this text fact or opinion? If fact, is it true? If opinion,
do I agree? Can this writer be trusted?
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 3/26
Guidelines to Appraising a Research Paper
� Title:± Is it informative, interesting and to the point?
± What main ideas are presented in the text?
� Authority:
� Who is the person ± or organization -- responsible for compiling and presenting the information?
� Check to see if there is information available on the author/s.
� Do they have any special experience or degrees that mightmake them a more reliable source than someone else? If youcannot find an individual author (or editor, or artist or director) is there a sponsoring organization that might beconsidered reliable?
� critical review of the paper!)when was the text produced?
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 4/26
Audience
� What type of audience is the author
addressing?
� Is the publication aimed at a specialized or
a general audience?
� Is this source too elementary, too technical,
too advanced, or just right for your needs?
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 5/26
Objective Reasoning
� Does the author state the goals for thispublication?
Inform, explain, educate ,Advocate ,or Sell a
product or service
� Is the information covered fact, opinion, or
propaganda? Does the author exhibit a
particular bias?
� Commitment to a point of view
� Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched, or is it questionable and unsupported by
evidence? Assumptions should be reasonable.
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 6/26
� Read the abstract and/or introduction
� Examine the work for
± Challenging language
± Images or graphic styles (e.g., text in color or boldface type) to persuade you of the author'spoint of view
± Propaganda
± Author's arguments or supporting facts± Author's conclusions
� Bibliography that includes multiple points of view
� Verify facts and statistics with a reliable source
� Examine cited sources
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 7/26
To evaluate quality:
� Is the information well-organized?
� Logical structure
� Main points clearly presented
� Author's argument is not repetitive
� Has the author used good grammar?
� Are there spelling or typographical errors?
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 8/26
To evaluate quality:
� Are the graphics (images, tables,
charts, diagrams) appropriate and
clearly presented?
� Clearly labeled
� Descriptive title
� Understandable without explanatory text
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 9/26
� Is the information complete and accurate?
� Facts and results agree with your own
knowledge of the subject� Facts and results agree with those of other
specialists in the field
� Documents sources (a very important
indicator of quality)� Describes methodology
� Addresses theories and facts that may negatethe main thesis
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 10/26
y Look at the headings to indicate
structure� Read carefully for errors
� Consider other ways to present the
information� Verify facts and statistics with a reliable
source
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 11/26
� Compare publication dates and content to
other sources you have found
� You should seek out multiple points of viewand include a diversity of sources and ideas.
� Look for gaps in your arguments and
evidence
� Facts
� Statistics
� Evidence
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 12/26
To evaluate currency:
� When was it published?
� Look for a publication or copyright date on the± Title page (books, journals)
± Reverse of the title page (books)± Cover (journals, magazines, newspapers)
± Table of contents (journals, magazines)
± Bottom of the page (web sites)
� Dates on web pages may indicate
�
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 13/26
� Is your topic one that
requires currentinformation?
� Has this source beenrevised, updated, or expanded in a
subsequent edition
� Topic areas requiring the
most up-to-dateinformation .
� Search catalogs and other databases for more recent
editions� Worldcat
� Books In Print
� Amazon.com
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 14/26
To evaluate relevance
� Is the content appropriate for your research topic or assignment?
� Scholarly vs. popular
� Fact vs. opinion
� Format/medium (e.g., book, journal, government report, website, etc.)
� Subject coverage
� Language
� Time period� Geographical area
� Audience
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 15/26
References
� References help an audience to verify the facts of an argument, and can be a good indicator of thequality of the author¶s research.
� Check whether your resource offers citations andreferences.
� Use them to evaluate authority and timeliness,noted above.
� Do they indicate bias?
� Are the references geared to a sophisticatedaudience?
� Do they provide readers with the completeinformation they would need if they wanted to
verify the facts as stated by the author, or if theywanted to learn more about the topic?
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 16/26
To evaluate coverage:
� Does the work update other sources?
� Does it substantiate other materials you
have read, or add new information?
� Have you found enough information to
support your arguments?
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 17/26
To evaluate quality
� Is the information well-organized?
� Logical structure
� Main points clearly presented
� Main ideas unified by overarching idea
� Text flows well
� Author's argument is not repetitive
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 18/26
Difference between Fact and
Opinion± It is not always easy to separate fact from opinion. Facts
can usually be verified; opinions, though they may be
based on factual information, evolve from the
interpretation of facts. Skilled writers can make you think their interpretations are facts.
± Opinion: Cannot be same it varies. Opinions refer to
a particular person¶s (or group¶s) feeling, thought,
judgment, belief, estimate, and/or anything that is not
100 percent true and can¶t be proven.
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 19/26
� View: cannot be a fact and also varies
� Fact: Facts can be all or some of thefollowing: can be proven, real for all peopleand places, can be duplicated, can beobserved, historical, or 100 percent true, but
� fact can also be changed e.g., of 20 millionpopulations in Malaysia in 2000, but after 5years it is change.
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 20/26
Fact
Names places dates Can be proven
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 21/26
May sound like a fact
Based on judgment Varies
Feelings
Cant be proven
Opinion
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 22/26
OPINION SIGNAL WORDS
believe best/worst expect
� feel in my opinion least/most
� may/may not might/might not myimpression is«
� my perspective is.. my point of view
is... my sense is«� possibly probably should
� should not think
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 23/26
� E xamples:
� Special Vitamin Cereal is the best cereal because it has more vitamins.
± (Opinion: Signal word ³best´; cannot be proven; apoint of view)
� Scientists believe that the world is billions of years old.
± (Opinion: signal word ³believe´; cannot be provenand is only a theory)
� There are nine hundred students in this school.
± (Fact: can be proven by checking school records)
� Brazil is the largest country in South America.
± (True Fact: can be proven by checking referencebooks)
� Paraguay is the largest country in South America.
± (False Fact: can be proven to be false by checking
reference books)
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 24/26
�Y ou should work at least one week before quitting
your job.
(Opinion: signal words, ³at least´, ³should´; cannotbe proven; advice)
�The thinking of medical doctors is that the disease is
not curable.
(Opinion: signal word, ³thinking´; has not beenproven beyond doubt.)
�There are eight million people in the city of New Y ork.
(Fact: can be proven true or false by checking
census records)�The United States will always be a democracy.
(Opinion: future tense ³will-´ can never be proven; it
didn¶t happen yet)
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 25/26
Exercise
� All people must breathe to live.
� All people love basketball.
� Blue is the best color.
� He is stupid.
� Abraham Lincoln was a United States president.
� North Carolina is a southern state.
� I don¶t like broccoli.� Fire needs oxygen to burn.
� Pizza tastes great.
� Most people have two arms and legs.
8/7/2019 evalauting text2
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/evalauting-text2 26/26
� The USA has biggest economy in the world.
� Shakespeare wrote text books
� Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the
founder of Pakistan.
� Smoking can be dangerous.� I assume that 95% criminal cant read.
� Poor education causes 75% crime