Library Research Methods: Fake News

Critical Thinking Skills – Ad Hominem Attacks - Central Washington University Academy

Have you ever been on the losing end of an argument and been tempted to resort to name-calling? Making irrelevant comments about an opponent’s character or circumstances is a common debate strategy known as an ad hominem attack. While ad hominem can be a legitimate response, it is often a diversion tactic meant to hide a weak counter-argument. Being able to spot ad hominem attacks and determine their use can help you identify credible resources and improve your communication skills.  By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:

• Recognize ad hominem attacks
• Use ad hominems effectively
• Plan appropriate responses to ad hominem attacks

Critical Thinking Skills - Teh Power of CMD/CTRL F by Central Washington University Academy

It’s good practice to read carefully, but it takes time. And whether you’re deep in a research project or trying to keep up with social media, time can seem like it’s in short supply. 

There may not be time to deeply read everything you come across. But the Command/Control F function is a great shortcut to quickly determine if an article matches its headline, an argument matches its social media post, or research matches your needs.  By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to: 

• Use cmd/ctrl F to quickly search for keywords

Critical Thinking Skills - Straw Man Arguments by Central Washington University Academy

Twisting an idea or position so it’s easier to argue against is called a straw man fallacy. Straw man arguments can seem convincing, but they’re actually poor reasoning. It can be hard to avoid straw man arguments in persuasive papers—or arguments with friends! But engaging with a topic fairly and accurately helps refine your own positions and connect better with others. 

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to: 

• Identify and avoid straw man arguments

Critical Thinking Skills - Loaded Questions by Central Washington University Academy

Have you ever felt trapped by a question because you'd look bad whether you said "yes" or "no"? These loaded questions are often used by journalists and politicians. Questions like, “Have you stopped accepting bribes?” have presumptions built into them so they can’t be answered without looking guilty. And they can be misleading when they suggest things that aren’t true.

Knowing how to deal with loaded questions can help you focus on facts and improve communication.

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:

• Recognize loaded questions
• Respond to loaded questions
• Avoid asking loaded questions

Critical Thinking Skills - False Equivalencies by Central Washington University Academy

Whether you are scrolling through social media, watching a debate, writing a paper, or having a conversation, understanding false equivalencies can help you stay focused on the facts.

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:

• Recognize, respond to, and avoid using false equivalencies

Critical Thinking Skills - Lateral Reading by Central Washington University Academy

In this tutorial, you’ll learn about lateral reading, a strategy for analyzing online information that results in reading less, but learning more.

By the end of this tutorial you’ll be able to: 

• Differentiate between lateral reading and vertical reading
• Explain why lateral reading is important
• Apply lateral reading strategically and deliberately 

Critical Thinking Skills - Confirmation Bias by Central Washington University Academy

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to: 

• Describe how confirmation bias works
• Explain how confirmation bias affects information seeking, evaluation, and sharing
• Apply confirmation bias checks

Critical Thinking Skills - Burden of Proof by Central Washington University Academy

When you are trying to prove a point during a conversation, you need to provide reasons why it is true. In other words, convincing someone requires evidence. This requirement is known as the burden of proof, and it comes into play in courts of law, political debates, and even casual conversations. Sometimes people try to make points without evidence or say something because it would be hard to prove them wrong. But failing to meet the burden of proof can make conversations go off track. So, whether you are researching, writing a paper, or debating with a friend, it’s important to provide evidence and ask others to do the same. During this tutorial, you will learn when the burden of proof is required and what to do when someone tries to evade it.By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:

• Recognize the burden of proof
• Respond to the burden of proof fallacies

Critical Thinking Skills - Causation vs. Correlation - Central Washington University Academy

By the end of this tutorial you’ll be able to:

• Differentiate between causation and correlation
• Recognize examples of correlation
• Explain why understanding causation and correlation is important for analyzing information
• Develop strategies for determining causation or correlation

Critical Thinking Skills – Ad Hominem Attacks - Central Washington University Academy

Have you ever been on the losing end of an argument and been tempted to resort to name-calling? Making irrelevant comments about an opponent’s character or circumstances is a common debate strategy known as an ad hominem attack. While ad hominem can be a legitimate response, it is often a diversion tactic meant to hide a weak counter-argument. Being able to spot ad hominem attacks and determine their use can help you identify credible resources and improve your communication skills.  By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:

• Recognize ad hominem attacks
• Use ad hominems effectively
• Plan appropriate responses to ad hominem attacks