Page 264 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

Problem Solving and Decision Making in Groups 247

The fallacies we have just presented are among the most common, but by no
means are they the only ones you will encounter. The important thing is for you and
your fellow group members to be alert to mistakes in reasoning.

Evaluating Information and Reasoning from the World Wide Web
The foregoing information pertains to all sources of information, regardless of the
method you used to acquire the information. But because anyone can post virtually
anything on the World Wide Web, evaluating Web- based sources poses unique prob-
lems. In a 2009 study of information found on the Internet, 2,814 web pages covering
a variety of topics were evaluated for whether they contained essential information
about a given issue. Only 11 percent were rated good or excellent. Adams and Clark
64
suggest using six evaluation criteria that look at accuracy, authority, audience,
purpose, recency, and coverage. 65

Accuracy How do you know information from the Web is accurate? You can’t know
beyond any doubt, but three factors can help you. First, be suspicious of information
that has not passed through any editorial checks. Some Web- based sources, such as
those maintained by credible news organizations like CNN, carry information that
has been screened. The production of fake news, often appearing as “real,” makes it
even more important that group members carefully scrutinize news sources. Second,
determine whether multiple sources verify the same information. Finally, use your
common sense. If something seems too good or too incredible to be true, don’t accept
it automatically. We found a website that advertised manbeef— human meat for food
consumption. It was a spoof, but some people accepted it as true.

Authority Ask what the source of the information is, and determine whether you
would trust that source. Collective or corporate authority, such as the National
Communication Association or the American Medical Association, adhere to stricter
standards for information than most individuals do. Find the information’s home
page to determine who is providing it and whether there may be bias. Look for names
of directors or contributors to the site and investigate their backgrounds.

Audience For whom is the information being offered? Web designers have particular
audiences in mind. Information is tailored to reach particular audiences. It may be
too technical, too jargon- filled, or too simplistic for your purposes. It may also be
slanted to appeal to a particular audience. What do the links provided on the website
tell you about the agenda of the site?

Purpose Why is this information being offered? It may be intended to inform, per-
suade, entertain you, or advocate for something. A good clue is what comes after the
dot. A .gov ending is sponsored by the government, for instance, and is probably
intended to inform. A .com signifies a commercial enterprise and is probably trying to
sell you something. Organizational sites (.org) are probably advocating a cause or
course of action. Be careful, though, because there are no restrictions for registering
with these endings, so you can be misled.

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