Analyzing for Bias

What is Bias?
This is how the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines bias:
BENT, TENDENCY: an inclination of temperament or outlook; especially: a personal and
sometimes unreasoned judgment
or from Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition:
Exhibiting bias: biased, one-sided, partisan, prejudiced, prejudicial

Why should we check the bias of information on a web page?

Information unsupported by facts or logical reasoning is less likely to be trustworthy. A biased
author may not pay attention to all the facts or develop a logical argument to support his or her
opinions.
Bias is when a statement reflects a partiality, preference, or prejudice for or against a person,
object, or idea. Much of what you read and hear expresses a bias. Bias is when a writer or
speaker uses a selection of facts, choice of words, and the quality and tone of description, to
convey a particular feeling or attitude. Its purpose is to convey a certain attitude or point of view
toward the subject. As you read or listen to biased materials, keep the following questions in
mind:

• What facts has the author omitted?

• What additional information is necessary?
• What words create positive or negative impressions?
• What impression would I have if different words had been used?

Biased information tries to change your mind, how you think. Being aware of bias and knowing
how to identify, analyze, and assimilate biased information properly is a skill to be treasured. It
puts you in charge of how you think instead of the print and media world.
What are some indicators of bias on a web page?

• The language of the document is often extreme; statements have all or nothing
connotations.
• The argument appeals more to the emotions than to logic.
• Things are worded with the intent to oversimplify or over generalize.
• The author wishes to present a limited view of the topic.

You should expect bias on webpages that are dedicated to selling you something. Additionally,
webpages dedicated to controversial topics are likely to have a bias.

Questions to Keep in Mind as you Seek Indicators of Bias

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You may be required to read a number of different texts in this course and in your academic
program. Your job as a critical thinker is to analyze and evaluate whether the text you are
investigating contains bias and, therefore, whether you can trust that source for your reading
and writing purpose. Also, you want to avoid bias in your writing.
1. Who is the author? Are they a reputable expert in the field, or are they, for example, part of
the ‘sales/marketing’ team of a company?
2. Does any information or detail seem to be missing?
3. Are you left with any unanswered questions?
4. What facts or information has the author omitted?
a. This question of what information is omitted goes right to the core of understanding
audience and purpose; what might be omitted depends on who is reading the text,
what they know, and what they need to know. This, again, is why understanding
audience and purpose is the most important aspect when analyzing and evaluating
bias.
5. What additional information is necessary?
6. What words create positive or negative impressions (connotations)?
7. What impression would I have if different or neutral words had been used?
8. Most technical documents are not meant to entertain. What might it mean if the technical
document you are analyzing is entertaining?
9. What is the author's political point of view?
10. What does the author stand to gain?
11. Who is paying for the website?
12. Does the author acknowledge a point of view?
13. Does the author present alternate points of view?
a. If so, are those views presented objectively?

Examples of Bias
“Heavily biased words and phrases are referred to as loaded language, or words and phrases
that an author chooses to convey a point of view and that reveals bias (Carter, 2013).
Example:
“Few tears will be shed for ousted BP chief executive Tony Hayward, who famously
attended a yacht race while his company’s blown-out oil well decorated the Gulf of Mexico
with crude, and who whined to reporters during the crisis that he wanted ‘my life back.’”
Editors, USA Today, “Our view on Big Oil: BP replaces CEO, but what about its safety policies?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2010-07-28editorial28_ST_N.htm, 2010 USA Today, Reprinted with Permission

This example is biased because of the language the author uses. Words and phrases like “few
tears will be shed”, “decorated the Gulf of Mexico with crude”, and “whined to reporters”
show the author’s negative bias towards Tony Hayward. Instead of merely reporting the
facts, the author colours the environmental event with criticism.

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References

Barnhill, D. (2015). Bias and Critical Thinking. University of Wisconsin. Retrieved from
http://www.uwosh.edu/facstaff/barnhill/490-docs/thinking/Bias%20-
%20critical%20thinking.pdf/view

Carter, C. E. (2013). Landscapes: Groundwork for college reading. Boston, MA: Cengage
Learning.

New Jersey Institute of Technology. How to evaluate information sources: Identify bias.
https://researchguides.njit.edu/evaluate/bias