Pro/Con Resources
Frederic Murray
Assistant Professor
MLIS, University of British Columbia
BA, Political Science, University of Iowa
Instructional Services Librarian
Al Harris Library
frederic.murray@swosu.edu
Information Literacy
• Search Strategies
– Keywords/Boolean AND/OR/NOT
• Organization of Information
– Catalogs Al Harris/WorldCat/Ebrary
– Databases i.e. Ebsco Products
– Popular vs. Scholarly resources
– Periodical Lists – Citation Searching
Information Literacy
• Critical Evaluation
– Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity,
Currency
– Google: Site Specific Search edu/gov
• Subject Specific Resources
– Match Subject to Database
Pew Research Center
Where Do You Fit ?
Different ways to look at:
Pro vs. Con
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Objective vs. Biased
Balanced vs. Unbalanced
Two-sided vs. One-sided
Indifferent vs. Persuasive
Good vs. Bad
Benefits vs. Drawbacks
Pro/Con
TOPIC
JSTOR
Google
• Who wrote the information in your
source?
• Where did the author of your source
get their information?
• What makes the author of your source
an expert?
• Why should we respect the opinions or
findings of your article/web page?
Where do I start?
– TOPICsearch -database
– Pro/Con Resources - books
• Contemporary Issues
• Opposing Viewpoints
• Reference Shelf
• Taking Sides
– Pro/Con Resources - databases
• CQ Researcher
– Author
• Issues and Controversies
– Keywords
Helpful Keywords to Use
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Issue
Controversy
Statistic
Ethical
Rights
Debate
Attitude
Trend
Condition
Examples:
• Rights and poverty
• death penalty and
Controversy
• household spending and
Statistics
TOPICsearch
• An Ebsco product
• Use Limiters to Narrow Search
• Example: Environment
– Current Events
– Full Text
– Topics
– Document Type
Pro/Con Resources
• Book Series
– Contemporary Issues
– Opposing Viewpoints
– Reference Shelf
– Taking Sides
Pro/Con Resources
• CQ Researcher
– contains information on current and
controversial issues concentric to the U.S.
Government
• Issues and Controversies
– provides up-to-date, objective information
on the most prominent and hotly debated
issues of the day
Opinion or Fact?
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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 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
Online Surveys & Reports
• Pew Research Center (Main Site)
– http://pewresearch.org
• Pew Global Attitudes Project
– http://pewglobal.org
• Pew Internet & American Life Project
– http://www.pewinternet.org
• Pew Hispanic Center
– http://pewhispanic.org
• Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
– http://pewforum.org
Which sounds better?
• A lot of freshman drop out of SWOSU
each academic year.
• 40% of freshman drop out of SWOSU
each academic year.
– NUMBERS CARRY WEIGHT, PEOPLE
ARE INFLUENCED BY STATISTICS
Statistical Resources
– American Attitudes
• 303.38 M6958a 2000
– Americans at Play
• 790.068 W462a
– Education Statistics of the United States
• 370.9021 Ed836
– Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
• 364.973 B9524 2003
– Statistical Handbook on the American Family
• 301.421 St295 1999
– World Almanac
• 317.3 W89
Statistical Resources
• Google Site Search:
i.e. Wind Power statistics Oklahoma site:gov
• Al Harris Library: Government Information
– Provides statistical information directly from
the U.S. Government and the agencies who
collect the data.
http://www.swosu.edu/library/infoservices/govdocs/gov.htm
Opinions 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
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CNN Special Reports
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National Center for Policy Analysis
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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.
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 Information
• Use information to support your position
– Pro/Con Materials
– Opinion Polls
– Statistics
Exercise:
Argumentative Resources Worksheet
Topic: Oklahoma HB 1083 & SB 1101
Amends existing law to allow
concealed handgun permit holders to
carry concealed handguns on college
or university property.
Question: Should this law be passed?
Finish the Worksheet:
• 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
Information Literacy
• Critical Evaluation
– Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity, Currency
– Google: Site Specific Search edu/gov
• Subject Specific Resources
– Target what you seek
Questions?
• Contact me:
– Frederic Murray
• 774-7113
• frederic.murray@swosu.edu
Thanks!