Bias, Reliability, and Validity

Bias, Validity, and Reliability

Essential Question:

How can we determine if information is valid and reliable?

Validity: the degree to which information is correct, factual, and logical

Reliability: the degree to which info can be researched and verified as trustworthy

Fact: statement that can be proven

Answers questions such as: What happened? Who did it? When did it happen?

Opinion: statement that expresses beliefs, feelings, judgments

“I believe, I think”; contains words like "might," "could," "should"; judgment words like "good," "bad," "poor," etc.

Primary Source: first hand or original information that comes from a reliable source

Examples: eyewitness accounts, personal interviews, autobiographies, letters, scientific journals

Secondary Source: info that has been gathered and interpreted by more than one source

Examples: textbooks, encyclopedias, magazine articles, biographies

Bias: favoring one side, position, or belief;

being partial or prejudiced

Examples:

Objective: Frank spends very little money.

Biased favorably: Frank is thrifty.

Biased unfavorably:

Frank is a cheapskate.

Write your own biased examples from the objective sentence:

"According to statistics, Clara is tall for her age."

How to Detect Bias:

Every text is affected by: thoughts, opinions, background.

Bias isn’t always on purpose…sometimes it just creeps in!

By looking for it, you can spot bias and become a better reader.

Bias can be created through…

Omission (leaving out certain facts)

Example of bias: "The senator's speech was received with some negative feedback."

In reality, the crowd booed and called him a "scoundrel."

Bias can be created through...

Placement

(Stories placed in front of the newspaper are seen as more important)

Photos can show bias!

Pictures can make the subject look attractive, healthy, serious, or menacing. This can influence how we think about someone or something.

Statistics can show bias...

Example:

The fundraiser only raised $1,100.

OR

The fundraiser raised OVER $1,000!

Bias can also be created by word choice or tone.

Remember, tone tells you the author’s attitude…

“The sun glistened like diamonds though the trees."

"The sun glared down, burning my eyes and skin."

Exit Slip: Choose TWO (2) to complete.

1. How does "The War of the Wall" deepen your understanding of the emotional effects of the Vietnam War? (Synthesize)

2. Compare and contrast the kids' and Mama's reaction to the painter. (Analyze)

3. Write a one-paragraph journal entry in the perspective of the painter. (Analyze & Apply)

4. How does the narrator's bias affect his/her view of the painter? Explain using textual evidence. (Analyze & Evaluate)

(Example: Clara is elegantly tall. Clara looms over everyone.)

, , , names and titles (how people are labeled), s,

Propaganda: systematic effort to influence people’s opinions/win them to a certain side or view