Instructions

1. Review the following tabs within Information Literacy Module: Evaluating Sources:
   1. A Political Sliding Scale
   2. A News Media Sliding Scale
   3. A News Reporting Sliding Scale
   4. What are we up against?
   5. Visual Literacy
2. Then, review the following webpage, “Defining Different Kinds of Authority.”
3. Then, choose a social problem/topic of interest to you.
   1. There are some topics/social problems that you may not select: obesity (a medical condition, not a social problem) and abortion (a medical procedure, not a social problem). You may select social problems related to these medical conditions, of course.
4. Locate three articles that represent three different views or perspectives on the topic. (Some scales or perspectives as indicated in the Information Literacy Module include 1) Liberal — Mainstream– Conservative; 2) Original Fact Reporting & Analysis to Opinion; 3) Objective Unbiased Reporting to Fake News).
   1. One of the three articles must be located using one of the CCC Library Databases noted below. See “Notes” below for more support with this.
      1. Academic Search Complete
      2. CQ Researcher
      3. Opposing Viewpoints in Context
5. Then, write a paper of 4 double-spaced pages or 1000 words that evaluates each of the three articles. In your evaluation, discuss the following questions for each article:

1. 1. 1. What type of person seems to have written the work? What kind of authority is the author? (ie: Student? Expert? Academic? Journalist? Government official? Moral authority? Personal authority?)
      2. Where do you think the writer’s knowledge stems from?
      3. What qualifications does the author have to talk authoritatively about this subject?
      4. Does this source incorporate other sources? (are there quotes or citations?)
      5. Would you use this source for a paper you are writing for a class? Why or why not?

5) Be sure to cite the source that you are evaluating in APA or in MLA at the end of the document.

6) Be sure to defend your argument with evidence from the source. When referring to evidence from the source, use MLA parenthetical citations or APA parenthetical citations.

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Notes:

1. The CCC databases are accessible from your home computer and Internet connection as long as you login using your CCC username and password — you will be prompted to provide this once you attempt to access he databases.
2. If you encounter problems, you can always contact the library by phone — see the weblink for details. And, of course, if you feel more comfortable working face-to-face with a librarian (this is sometimes a good idea, if you haven’t used databases before), who can help you find the information you are seeking, you can go to any of the seven City Colleges of Chicago’s libraries for help.
3. Always select “full-text” as one of your search criteria.
4. For help searching the databases, you can consult (in person or on the phone) a reference librarian at any one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago libraries. You can also view Wright College’s Library Database Guides page. Or, consult the Wright College Library page.
5. You may be able to book a remote individual research consultation with a Wright College librarian at Wright College Library page, who can help you locate sources in any of the databases as well as online using a search engine like Google. There is an opportunity for up to 10 additional points on this assignments if you book and complete a research consultation–proof of this is required to be submitted with your work.