Source evaluations for Indian Mascots topic

Transcription

1 Source evaluations for Indian Mascots topic Shakely s piece is from a major newspaper, but is clearly an opinion column, not a news report. It includes a personal perspective, but no other indication of his knowledge base. It is useful to represent some of the points that are made against Indian mascots and gives some examples of problematic ones, but the information should be corroborated with other sources. According to Wikipedia, Shakely has served as president or chair of a number of non-profit organizations including the California Community Foundation and the Center for Philanthropy and Public Policy at the University of Southern California, and he wrote a historical novel set in Indian Territory during the Civil War. From this, it seems that he is a well-informed person, with an interest in the history of Native Americans. Hyman s piece is also an opinion column. There is no indication of the nature of his expertise, but there is a good amount of specific information, suggesting he is wellinformed. He has a website, which lists his experience, including military service, political work, and extensive work as a television commentator. He is likely to be a generally well-informed person, but without any particular expertise. The American Spectator is a conservative publication (its website states that it educates the public on new ideas, concepts and policies that favor the principles of economic freedom, individual liberty, limited government, and traditional American values.... and serves as an outlet for a host of both young and established conservative writers and thinkers. It s likely that this piece was written with a conservative audience in mind, and so assuming the readers will agree with his views. It is a good representative of this viewpoint, but can t be treated as authoritative.

2 Source evaluations for College Value topic Smith This is a very strong source to represent the viewpoint that college is worth the cost. As the president of a liberal arts college, Smith is knowledgeable, though likely biased, and he includes statistics from credible sources to support the claims about the economic value of a college degree. These factual claims could be corroborated with other sources. Nemko Nemko identifies himself as a career counselor, a very relevant profession. This essay is from his own website, which could make one question its credibility. The biography on the site indicates that he has a Ph.D. in Education and college-level teaching experience, and has written books on college and on careers. He cites sources for some of the information, though not all. Overall, this seems like a good source to use, although it would be nice to have external confirmation that the author has the expertise he seems to. Le This is a personal essay, so it is not reliable as a source of information, but it does give a perspective on the value of college and could be useful especially as an example of someone who values the symbolic significance of earning a bachelor s degree, as a personal and family achievement. She includes statistics about the earning potential of college graduates and the number of college graduates in the country; since these are not cited, other sources should be used for this kind of information. Stephens This is clearly an opinion piece, making the case against college degrees. Some points are supported, in particular the claim that 36% of graduates lack critical thinking and writing skills. Other points lack support and should be treated as merely his perceptions. As the holder of a Thiel Fellowship (a scholarship to work in Silicon Valley, which requires that he not attend college), he has some credibility in that he is practicing what he preaches. Riley The Washington Post is a nationally-prominent newspaper. Some see it as left-leaning, but in general it is well respected. The author gives sources for some of her information, adding to her credibility. A web search led to her web site, which states that she is a former editor of the Wall Street Journal and that higher education is one area on which she has focused. Overall this is a credible source. Census Bureau This is a government agency, reporting data from the census. This a reliable source, informative rather than making an argument.

3 Is a College Degree Worth the Money? This was printed in the Wall Street Journal, a well-respected newspaper with a focus on economic issues. Sources of the information are given, and they are relevant government and university agencies. This a reliable source, informative rather than making an argument. Perry This is from a newspaper specializing in issues related to higher education, suggesting a knowledgeable author and audience, but perhaps biased on the side of valuing college. He has very specific information, suggesting that he is knowledgeable, although he only sometimes cites a source. Some internet research on the author shows that he was on the Board of Regents in South Dakota for a number of years, confirming his expertise on what is happening in that state. Miller Some internet research shows that the author has Ph.D. in English and teaches in the Education program at the University of Virginia. One of her research areas is measuring student learning. Therefore, she has relevant expertise on the topic, and she also cites the sources of information included in the article. The publication is a trade magazine focused on higher education. She clearly has an opinion on the subject, but with that caveat, this is a highly credible source. Murray This was printed in the Wall Street Journal, a well-respected newspaper with a focus on economic issues. The author has a Ph.D. in political science and has written several books, some of them on education. He seems credible, although his expertise on the specific topic may be limited. No sources are given for the information in the article, and he expressed strong opinions on the subject. Overall, this writer is worth listening to, and could be cited as a credible source, but it s not as strong as it could be. Pharinet. This is clearly a screen name, and no sources are cited, so the source lacks credibility. It is a blog post on a site hosted by Yahoo. The author refers to my own students in par. 5, so he/she is probably a college professor, and therefore has some knowledge base. Still, it is useful only as a source of ideas. For information to back up points I will make, a more reliable source should be used.

4 Source Evaluations for Drinking Age Topic The Amethyst Initiative is a group of college and university administrators. They have relevant expertise (what is happening on their campuses). The document presents a viewpoint on the issue. It gives reasons to support the position that the drinking age should be re-thought, though there is little support in this brief statement. Other sources may include information that can be used to support or refute these points. Radley Balko is a professional journalist. He is not an expert on the topic, but because he has written for a number of publications (including the Washington Post currently), I would assume he is a well-regarded journalist. This piece was written for Fox News, which has a conservative viewpoint, and that may influence his argument. Certainly he is presenting a viewpoint, not just information, so his claims will need to be tested against information in other sources. Bradley Gitz is a college professor, but his expertise is in political science, which doesn t seem to be particularly relevant to the topic. This article presents most fully the idea that there is an inappropriate inconsistency in having the drinking age be later than the age for voting and for military service, especially. I will definitely use it for that reason if I want to talk about that line of reasoning. I wouldn t cite it as an inherently authoritative source. Robert Voas has strong expertise on this topic (a Ph.D. in psychology and extensive research on drinking behavior). He doesn t cite any sources for his information, but his expertise makes me confident in citing this article for the information included in it. He does present an opinion, however, so there may be some bias in his selection of evidence, and I will need to check what he says against what appears in other sources. The Christian Science Monitor is a newspaper published by a religious organization, but it has a good reputation for responsible journalism. Jay Evensen is the senior editorial columnist for the Deseret Morning News, according to the newspaper s website. This is an opinion piece by a professional journalist. The paper itself is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and gives its mission as to be a leading news brand for faith and family oriented audiences in Utah and around the world. This suggests that there may be a religious and conservative bent to the paper, but it appears to be a reputable news source. This is a good source for representing a position on the issue. Joyce Alcantara was a teenager when she wrote this article, according to our textbook. The San Jose Mercury News looks like a typical local paper. Overall this is not an inherently credible source, but it can be useful for representing a viewpoint. Some of the sources of information are cited, which adds to the credibility of that information. Andrew Herman appears to be a student at Bowling Green State University. He can speak from first-hand knowledge as a student, but doesn t have any other expertise on the topic. He doesn t cite any sources for information (even where there are statistics

5 included). I wouldn t use this as a source for any specific information, but might use it if I like any of his ideas and want to talk about them further (for example, the suggestion that we should raise, not lower, the drinking age). Caryn Sullivan presents both sides of the debate, and seems to have a good understanding of both viewpoints. She seems open-minded and fair, and St. Paul Pioneer Press looks like a solid local newspaper in a major city. The Federal Trade Commission is a government agency, so this is a credible source. It appears to give data from a survey of high school seniors. It would be useful to know more about the survey (how the questions were worded, how many students were surveyed and how diverse, etc.), and I should bear in mind that some students could have lied on the survey.

6 Source Evaluations for Internship Topic Ryan Burkey s article was first published in a college newspaper. He quotes career advisors and students, and so can be a useful source for that kind of anecdotal evidence, but this is not an expert source. Ross Perlin s piece is an opinion column, so it is a persuasive piece. The New York Times is a prominent newspaper with a solid reputation. According to his own web site, Perlin is a professional writer who focuses on issues related to careers and has written a book on internships, so he appears very knowledgeable on the topic. Anya Kamenetz s article is another opinion piece in a prominent newspaper. She is currently an education blogger for National Public Radio, another news source with a reputation for reliability, so she is a professional journalist with a focus on education. John Stossel is a journalist who has worked for both ABC and Fox News. While his article is clearly opinionated, it includes some anecdotal evidence from his own experience in the workplace with interns, so it is a useful source for that kind of information. Jennifer Wheary s newspaper article quotes career center staff from more than one university and cites research by a university. A web search shows that she has experience in teaching and in education-related research, so she is a credible source for this kind of information. Danielle Connor draws on her own personal experience. No information is available about her expertise, but her piece cold be useful for the anecdotal example. The Christian Science Monitor is a newspaper published by a religious organization, but it has a good reputation for responsible journalism.