Questions to Ask to Determine the Accuracy of a Source Mrs. Dorsey, BIS

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Questions to Ask to Determine the Accuracy of a
SourceMrs. Dorsey, BIS

• I can examine a variety of sources for
  accuracy.

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1.  Can the information be verified in other
sources?

• Verified proven to be true
• Facts- names, dates, locations, etc.
• Do most other sources agree on a piece of
  evidence? OR is this source the ONLY one to say
  something ALL the other sources claim
  differently?
• --------------------------------------------------
  --------------------------------------------------
  -------------
• The Great Sphinx is in Egypt.Can we prove that
  by looking at other sources?
• Every article I find except for one says that
  the ancient Mesopotamians wrote in a language
  called cuneiform. One article says they wrote in
  hieroglyphics

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2. What are the authors sources of information? 

• Where did the author get the information? Was
  s/he a witness? Was s/he a part of the event? Did
  s/he hear about it from someone else? What is the
  bias?  
• Is there a bibliography that shows the authors
  sources of information?
• --------------------------------------------------
  -------------------------------------------
• Did you know Brookville once had a gold mine? I
  heard it from my cousins friends sisters
  dentist, so it must be true!!!!

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3. Is the information original or reprinted/
excerpted from another source?

• Are you looking at a primary source (original) or
  a secondary source(from a later time)?
• What is the context (the words around it)?
• --------------------------------------------------
  ------------------------------------
• l didnt like traveling through Italy. Mrs.
  DorseyI didnt like traveling through Italy. I
  LOVED it! Mrs. Dorsey

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4. How does the source compare with others on the
same topic? 

• Whats the authors point of view?
• When was it created?
• Where was it created?
• Why was it created?
• Who was the intended audience?
• What type of source is it?
• Is it persuasive? What arguments are made?

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Which source would be more accurate?

• A poem about the Revolutionary War OR a diary
  entry from a soldier?
• A comment on a Facebook post about an event in
  Dayton by someone not at the event OR a Channel 7
  interview with people who were there?
• An opinion column in the newspaper about the
  Presidents policies OR a front-page story about
  the policies?
• A book about Ancient China written by a professor
  of Chinese history OR an online article written
  by an unknown author.