Pro/Con Resources Frederic Murray Frederic Murray Assistant Professor Assistant Professor MLIS, University of British Columbia MLIS, University of British Columbia BA, Political Science, University of Iowa BA, Political Science, University of Iowa Instructional Services Librarian Instructional Services Librarian Al Harris Library Al Harris Library [email protected]
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Pro/Con Resources Frederic Murray Assistant Professor MLIS, University of British Columbia BA, Political Science, University of Iowa Instructional Services.
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Pro/Con Resources
Frederic MurrayFrederic MurrayAssistant Professor Assistant Professor MLIS, University of British ColumbiaMLIS, University of British ColumbiaBA, Political Science, University of IowaBA, Political Science, University of Iowa
• Organization of Information– Catalogs Al Harris/WorldCat/Ebrary– Databases i.e. Ebsco Products– Popular vs. Scholarly resources– Periodical Lists – Citation Searching
Different ways to look at:Pro vs. Con• Objective vs. Biased• Balanced vs. Unbalanced • Two-sided vs. One-sided• Indifferent vs. Persuasive• Good vs. Bad• Benefits vs. Drawbacks
Topic: Oklahoma HB 1083 & SB 1101 Amends existing law to allow concealed handgun permit holders to carry concealed handguns on college or university property.
• Whales are mammals.• Whales are superior to dolphins.• Stephen King is talented.• Stephen King is a prolific writer.• Bottled water is cleaner than tap
water. • To meet American demand of
bottled water, requires 1.5 million barrels of oil annually.
Which sounds better?
• Oil over $100 is cause for concern.
• Harvard economists believe oil over $100 is cause for concern.
– A COLLECTIVE OPINION IS STRONGER THAN A SINGLE OPINION
Opinion ResourcesOpinion Resources
• Editorials on File– Ref 070.43 Ed48
• Gallup Poll – Ref 301.154 G13g– http://www.gallup.com– an organization studying human nature
and behavior for more than 70 years through public surveys
– collects attitudes and opinions of individuals and key groups within the American population concerning national and international issues and events
Opinions vs. FactsOpinions vs. Facts• Pros (Strengths)
– A consensus of opinions are much stronger than a single opinion
– Reflects the culture and society that experience these issues and events (primary resource)
• Cons (Weaknesses)– Less concrete– A view formed by
someone’s belief which can be biased
– Not necessarily the truth
– Opinions can differ widely
• Pros (Strengths)– Very concrete– Based in
scientific/research methodology
– Data supports arguments
– Statistics helps determine the accuracy of information in the evaluation process
• Cons (Weaknesses)– Data can be
manipulated– Unless data collection is
a regular practice, data can become outdated and irrelevant
World Wide Web: Resources• CNN Special Reports• http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/• Includes facts, statistics, interviews of supporters and
opponents, and much more on key issues. The site maintains an archive going back to 1995.
• National Center for Policy Analysis• http://www.ncpa.org• NCPA is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy research
organization whose goal is to develop and promote private alternatives to government regulation and control, solving problems by relying on the strength of the competitive, entrepreneurial private sector.
• SpeakOut.com• http://speakout.com/index.html• Provides issues arranged by topic categories. The site is
devoted to promoting activism in a variety of areas.
Argumentative Argumentative InformationInformation• Use information to support your
• Identify three sources of information in support of your defense.– A.
– B.
– C.
Ready to Argue
Information Literacy
• Search Strategies– Keywords/Boolean AND/OR/NOT
• Organization of Information– Catalogs Al Harris/WorldCat– Databases i.e. Ebsco Products– Popular vs. Scholarly resources– Periodical Lists – Citation Searching