Point of view/bias
- Does the author have a noticeable bias? These are sometimes easy to detect, for example, someone’s affiliation with a political party other organisation. Students should not discount using biased opinions in their research, but acknowledge different perspectives in their assignment writing.
- What political, cultural or social agendas are present in the information? Sometimes this can be hidden. As you become more familiar with a topic it becomes easier to recognise bias.
- Be aware of your own personal biases that may prevent you from accepting the arguments of others with an open mind.
- Difficulties may arise in the detection of bias when dealing with sources that reflect the conventions of the culture or time in which the work was produced.
- When using information found on the Internet it is important to consider who is providing the information and their motivations for doing so.
