Researching an
Agriculture Issue
Section: Advanced Agribusiness
Unit: Agriculture Issues
Lesson Titles: Researching an Agriculture Issue
Agriculture Issues
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Should a person become a vegetarian?
Is our surface water being contaminated by the use of pesticides?
Should organic farming be used as an alternative to help maximize
profits?
Are there reasonable alternatives to animal testing?
Why would I want to associate with the agriculture industry that
always seems to be under fire by the public?
Do check offs and producer funded programs have a significant
impact on increasing food costs in the United States?
Is the impact of public opinion affecting agricultural policy?
Will more funding for agricultural biotechnology research keep U.S.
agriculture competitive on a global perspective?
Questions to Answer
1. What
are your opinions on the issue?
2. Is this an important issue in your life?
3. What sides are part of this issue?
4. What history is a part of this issue?
5. Who is involved in this issue?
6. What are the pros and cons of this issue?
How do you get started Researching an
Agriculture Issue?
 Recall
your personal experiences.
 Visit the concern.
 Talk with someone who knows.
 Listen and read.
 Use the library.
Brain Dump Web Example
Pesticides
The amount of
pesticide used
Surface water
contamination
Hazardous
materials
Causes of
contamination
Where
should it go
Where do you find Information
for an Agriculture Issue?








Books
Magazines and Newspapers
Pamphlets
Encyclopedias
Biographies
Statistical Information
Government Publications
Valid Internet Sources
Web Sites to Evaluate

http://www.csiro.au/communication/rabbits/qa1.htm

http://www.improb.com/airchives/classical/cat/cat.html

http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/jackalope.html
Evaluating Sources of Information
1.
2.
3.
4.
Does this source have a reputation for
accuracy?
Does this newspaper print the facts about
events exactly as they occurred?
Are the facts printed in this website, magazine
or pamphlet verified by reports from other
sources?
Have the authors of this book checked their
facts with care?
Evaluating Sources of Information
(Continued)
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Is this source biased?
Does the source distort the facts to fit his
preconceived ideas?
Does this magazine present only one side of a
controversy?
Does this newspaper “color” the news by printing
those items favorable to a particular set of interests or
political party?
Have the people I interviewed shown a bias because
of the company for which they work or the causes in
which they believe?
Evaluating Sources of Information
(Continued)
10.
11.
12.
13.
Is this information complete?
Am I given all the facts?
Are some facts being withheld?
Have I checked every possible source of
information?
How do you Cite Sources?

Books



Magazines



Author. Title. City, State where published: Publishing
Company, Copyright Date.
Angel, David. The Internet Business Companion: Growing
Your Business in the Electronic Age. Reading, MA: AddisonWesley, 1995.
Author. “Title of the Article.” Name of Magazine Day Month.
Year: pages.
Tully, Shawn. “The Universal Teenager.” Fortune 4 Apr.
1994: 14-16.
Newspapers


Author. “Title of the Article.” Name of Newspaper Day Month
Year, edition.: number.
Bleakley, Fred R. “Companies’ Profits Grew 48% Despite
Economy.” Wall Street Journal 1 May 1995, midwest ed.:1.
How do you Cite Sources?
(Continued)

Pamphlets
Author. Title. City, State where published:
Publishing Company, Copyright Date.
 Grayson, George W. The North American Free
Trade Agreement. New York: Foreign Policy
Association, Inc., 1993.


Encyclopedias
 Author.
Title. Number Volume. City where
published: Publishing Company, Copyright Date.
 Barnouw, Eric, ed. International Encyclopedia of
Communications. 9 vols. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1989.
How do you Cite Sources?
(Continued)


Government publications
 Name of Government. Name of the Agency. Title of
the Publication. Where it was published: Publishing
Company, Copyright date.
 United States. Federal Trade Commission. Shopping
by Mail or Phone. Washington: GPO, 1994.
Valid Internet Sources
 Name of author. “Title of work.” Title of full website.
date of access Full URL, in angle brackets
 Stein, Mark. “Poborsky Leaves Manchester United.”
Official Manchester United Home Page. 26 June 1998
<http://www.sky.co.uk/sports/manu>.
Choral Response




What do you need to do before you start
researching?
What are the seven areas to find information?
What questions should you ask about
information you find before you use that
information?
How do you cite sources?