Good Research: Reliability and Credibility

During the months leading up to a political campaign, many campaign advertisements are on television. What aspect of the political advertisements should you examine in order to determine whether the source is credible?

• You should identify the type of media (e.g. social media, mainstream news or TV) used for the ad.

• You should evaluate the colours and images used in the ad.

• You should focus on the political party advertised and whether you agree with their policies or not.

• You should think about how well the ad appealed to your emotions.

What would negatively affect the credibility of a source such as a political campaign ad?

• The author of the advertisement is not stated.

• The advertisement uses statistics from opposition groups.

• The advertisement has quotes from opposing candidates.

• The advertisement states that it is approved by the candidate it supports.

In New Zealand it is illegal to text and drive. Which of the following sources would the most credible in a study that supports the texting laws?

• A survey of mobile phone owners regarding their texting habits.

• A petition signed by 2000 drivers asking for the law to be withdrawn.

• A collection of obituaries for those who died in accidents caused by distracted driving.

• A report issued by the police or transport agencies that contains the causes of car accidents over the last 10 years.

What factors determine whether or not you can trust a story? *Choose the 2 most correct options.

• The person / group who created the media has a reputation for telling the truth.

• There is a video or a picture.

• The story is everywhere on social media.

• The news source states who produced the news and the story itself does not suffer from a clear lack of logical reasoning.

Sometimes the media can reinforce biases about people and groups. The issue with these generalisations is that it can:

• encourage harmful stereotypes

• push an incorrect narrative (story)

• incorrectly portray a group / person and their views.

• Cause people to mistrust the media.

An environmental study on how proposed new housing development could impact local wildlife is released. When we evaluate the credibility of the study, we should consider

• cost of the study

• the graphs used to display the research data

• possible biases

• public opinion

Which source of information about a political candidate would likely be free of bias?

• a blog

• a newspaper article giving a subjective view

• a full-text transcript of the most recent candidate debate in parliament

• a social media post paid for by a political party

An interest group produces a television advertisement. The advertisement may be a credible source of information if it:

• makes use of stereotypes

• is presented in an easy to understand way

• is consistent with other credible sources

• relies on public opinion

A council is holding a vote to decide whether to construct a new airport. An undecided voter has gather information about the proposed airport to help her decide how she will vote. Select 2 reasons why the sources she chose are credible and relevant.

• It was well written.

• The sources were written by concerned members of the public.

• The sources present objective facts related to the issue.

• The sources are written by people with expertise on the the issue.

I have to write a history assignment and decide to interview my history teacher, Mr. Rogers. He has a teaching qualification and multiple degrees in history. He can be seen as a.........................source.

• reliable

• awesome

• biased

• mid-tier