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EVALUATING THE AUTHOR’S ARGUMENTS

With the advent of technology comes the explosion of information. Information has never been as
available and as accessible as before. People can now share information, and they can access
information anywhere and anytime. It is no wonder that people today are said to be living in an
information age.

Because of social media, the reading habits of many people have changed. If people used to rely on
newspapers or magazines for news on current events, a lot of people nowadays depend on social media
for updated information. And when you say updated information, you mean a minute-by-minute,
instant, or real time update. Before, a piece of day-old news was the “updated” current event. However,
because of social media, an instant update every minute can happen. Not being able to check one’s
social media accounts even for just one night can make one lose a lot of information. For instance,
weather updates and announcements on class suspensions can be done by schools and even by local
government on social media anytime during the night. There are a lot of instances wherein students and
teachers alike who have no access or did not access social media overnight get the surprise of their life
upon arriving at school and finding out that there are no classes.

Sources of Data or Information

If a classmate who is always absent in class will send you a private message at night and tell you that
there are no classes the next day due to inclement weather, you would believe him or her? Most
probably, you would not, would you? But if the message comes from the school principal, would you
believe the message then? Yes, you would most probably believe then believe the message. Why is it
the case? What’s the difference between the two messages? The difference lies in the source of the
information. The source of the first one may not be reliable, especially if it comes from a classmate that
has a bad reputation of being always absent in class. In the second example, the source is reliable
because it comes from a figure of authority.

When reading or searching information, always remember to investigate the source. There are three
main things that you should keep in mind when investigating sources of information:

1. The author
2. The pieces of evidence to the claims of the author
3. The publisher or sponsor(s)

Who is the author of that source of information? Check the background of the author. Is the author an
expert on that subject matter? What is the purpose of the author? Sometimes, a persuasive text is
suspicious if, at the end of the article, the author will persuade you to buy a certain product pertaining
to the content of the article. For instance, an article on the importance of calcium intake persuades you
in the end to buy the milk product being endorsed. You should also recognize the fallibility even of
experts. Neither a graduate degree nor an affiliation with credible organization or university is an
assurance that the author is not capable of making mistakes.

Handout 4: English for Academic and Professional Purposes

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What pieces of evidence does the author present for his or her claims? The supporting pieces of
evidence the author should be of high-quality information that are factual, reliable, updated, unbiased,
and comprehensive. It is perfectly acceptable to play devil’s advocate and probe for erroneous data.
Widen your horizons and examine opposing viewpoints. Evidence should not be based on anecdotes,
testimonials, and personal opinions alone. Do not believe one source of information only. Look for other
sources and compare what each has to say. Look for research or scientific findings.

Also, when investigating a piece of information, find out the publisher and/or sponsor of a particular
claim. Do not be misled by impressive names of organizations or advocacy campaigns. For example,
consider a campaign named “Education for the Ethnic Tribes” advocates to bring education to the far-
flung areas of Palawan. They bring in teachers to the villages who train young adults to teach younger
children to read and write. The organizers coordinate with the local government and build good
relationships with the local communities. Unknown and unnoticed to many people, this organization
with a very impressive campaign and unsuspecting name is sponsored by a mining company. The goal of
the company is to build good relationships and the eventually penetrate the community with its
presence. After establishing these things, it would be a lot easier for them to ask for the necessary
mining permits from the local government. Because the community is already used to its presence and
has already benefited from its educational advocacy, the company’s mining activity is not looked upon
as a threat to the natural resources and environment of the community.

Again, evaluate the source when reading information: investigate the author’s background, examine the
evidence, and check the background of the publisher or sponsor.

Internet Sources

The internet is a massive and comprehensive source of information. In fact, you can also download e-
books and e-journals from different online sources. These electronic reading materials make the
generation of today feel less inclined to buy hard copies of books and/or journals. When looking at
internet sources, the first thing to look at is the domain name. The domain name can give you a clue
reading the site’s motivation and objectives.

1. .com – means that the domain name is owned by a company. This is the most common of all.
Because the website is owned by a company, keep in mind that there is a business aspect to the
website.
2. .edu – is more reliable because it means that the website is under an educational institution.
However, this may not be the case. Some research studies published on educational websites
can also be funded by outside sponsors that have vested interests.
3. .gov – is a government-owned website
4. .net – is owned by a network
5. .org – is under organizations.

Those are other indicators to whom a web page belongs. Always be skeptical and investigate carefully
the motivation and the objective of a website.

Handout 4: English for Academic and Professional Purposes