Description
1 This is a test that takes about 20 minutes, with a total of only eight multiple choice questions
2 In this low-stakes exercise, we’re going to put some of the insights from Week 1 and early Week 2 into practice.
Part I:
Behold! A great reason to start eating vegan. Or is it? There are some good reasons to consider going vegan, and some good reasons not to, depending on your circumstances and inclinations; but, the argument presented in this infographic may not be a whole lot of help either way.
Identify as many red flags in this graphic as you can. Then take a look at the statistic it promotes. Start by doing some research: Is it accurate? If not, can you learn where they got the information from, or does it appear to be completely made-up? Finally, is there something about the comparison they’re drawing visually that clashes with the statistical claim they’re making?
Part II:
In Part I, you evaluated a statistical claim that was clearly dodgy to at least some degree. In Part II, we’ll evaluate a more nuanced claim, one in which you will probably find some true claims along with some that are, at the very least, exaggerated. You won’t be able to just slam it as a thoroughgoing fake-up job, nor to ratify it as clean and true throughout.
Not all the claims on this graphic are worth looking up (for instance, the “Look Good” bullet point. Does guzzling a box of Franzia really make you look hotter? It’s going to be hard to research that one, especially if you’re under 21.) But several of them make scientific and statistical claims that you can dig deeper into. But you’re on your own for that … they haven’t given even a hint of their sources for these claims, have they?
Here is the graphic:
Some good places to start researching
- A simple Google search for other sources that carry the story, or for confirmation of unreferenced assertions.
- Snopes.com and Politifact.com.
- Sometimes a library OneSearch can turn up surprisingly useful information.
- Don’t forget the Prime Directive: Who’s the author? What’s their angle? Do they have a history of spinning? Do they work for an organization with a history of intellectual integrity? Be sure and apply the Prime Directive both to the infographic you’re researching, and to the sources you find to confirm or disprove their claims.
- Ask yourself: Who is affected by this issue? Look to them to see if they have responded. For instance, the National Beef Council might have responded to the first infographic, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving may have something to say about the second.
Formatting
- Write 200-500 words on each infographic. (1 point penalty per bloc of 100 words too many or too few)
- Do not mix Parts I and II together. Address them separately, one after the other. (1 point penalty)
- Write in the third person and use paragraph breaks — one every time you change subjects. (1 point penalty for either)
