3 Comparing and Assessing Sources Free Online FlashCards

Which five dimensions help you compare sources?

Compare each source’s purpose, perspective, expertise, evidence, and reliability in relation to the question.

What does a source’s purpose tell you?

A source’s purpose is what it is meant to do, such as inform, explain, persuade, sell, entertain, or record an event.

Does a source’s perspective automatically make it unreliable?

A creator’s viewpoint or interests may shape an account, but perspective alone does not prove the source is unreliable. Evaluate its specific claims and support.

What is a primary source?

A primary source is a firsthand record, such as a letter, interview, photograph, government document, or original dataset.

What is a secondary source?

A secondary source interprets or analyzes information, often drawing on multiple primary sources.

Are primary sources always more reliable than secondary sources?

Neither type is automatically more reliable. A source’s usefulness depends on the question being investigated.

What should you check before generalizing from a town survey?

Check who was surveyed, how many people responded, when the survey took place, and whether the sample represents the town.

What can an interview alone not establish about residents’ views?

An interview can provide vivid detail, but by itself it cannot establish what most residents think.

How do you test whether evidence supports a source’s claim?

Identify the claim and its supporting evidence, then check whether the evidence is specific, relevant, traceable, and sufficient to support that claim.

What should you inspect before interpreting a chart?

Check what is measured, the time period, the population or sample, the original data source, and the chart’s axes and units. A truncated axis can exaggerate or diminish a difference.

Why might several agreeing articles not provide independent confirmation?

Check whether the sources rely on independent evidence. Several articles repeating one original report do not count as several independent confirmations.

What should you compare when sources disagree?

Check whether they address the same question, people, place, and time; define terms alike; and use comparable evidence, methods, and samples.