Critical analysis: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Dave in the pub.jpg|alt=Dave in the pub|thumb|'''Figure 1'''. Dave, in the pub.]]

'''Information can be true or false. Information that tends to be true is information based in scientific fact. Information that tends to be false is anecdotal like your friend Dave at the pub''' (See '''Figure 1''')'''.''' Everyone trusts their sources differently (Dave might actually be a rocket scientist!) ~~however~~, there is a [[Referencing|cheat sheet]], based in science which everyone can use to point them in the right direction.

'''Information can be true or false. Information that tends to be true is information based in scientific fact. Information that tends to be false is anecdotal like your friend Dave at the pub''' (See '''Figure 1''')'''.''' Everyone trusts their sources differently (Dave might actually be a rocket scientist!) but it's VERY difficult to tell if people are just making shit up. To make this process easier, there is a [[Referencing|cheat sheet]], based in science which everyone can use to point them in the right direction. Other than that there are a series of techniques called Critical Analysis which can help you figure it out for your self.

==Critical Analysis Techniques==

[[File:Hierarchy of Sciences.png|alt=Hierarchy of Sciences|thumb|'''Figure 2'''. Hierarchy of Sciences]]

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Primarily, the information we consume should be unbiased and as factual as possible ('''Figure 3'''). The closest and most abundant source of this are scientific journal articles. Articles go through an approval process, the editor receives an article then sends it out to other scientists, who provide feedback and recommend whether the paper should be published. This practice only became a requirement by most journals in the 1970s and ’80s and reduces poor science by:

*reducing information overload by eliminating irrelevant or weak studies.

*identifying the most relevant papers.[[File:Weighting hierarchy.png|alt=Weighting hierarchy|thumb|'''Figure 4:''' Scientific weighting hierarchy.]]

*identifying the most relevant papers.[[File:Weighting hierarchy.png|alt=Weighting hierarchy|thumb|'''Figure 3:''' Scientific weighting hierarchy.]]

*distinguishing evidence from opinion, assumptions, misreporting, and belief.

*assessing the validity of the study.

*assessing the usefulness and clinical applicability of the study.

This is illustrated in '''Figure 4''' and is the key filtering technique that Burnzero uses to write articles. In fact on every page, at the bottom is a section named '''Reference''', by clicking on the link next to the individual referenced article ([1], [2], [3] etc) you will be taken to an abstract or full article which is only featured if it fits within the higher levels of this hierarchy. Therefore, no news sources are used, only verifiable scientific papers, the intention of this is to bring us closer to fact than fiction.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:Dave in the pub.jpg|alt=Dave in the pub|thumb|'''Figure 1'''. Dave, in the pub.]]
-'''Information can be true or false. Information that tends to be true is information based in scientific fact. Information that tends to be false is anecdotal like your friend Dave at the pub''' (See '''Figure 1''')'''.''' Everyone trusts their sources differently (Dave might actually be a rocket scientist!) however, there is a [[Referencing|cheat sheet]], based in science which everyone can use to point them in the right direction.
+'''Information can be true or false. Information that tends to be true is information based in scientific fact. Information that tends to be false is anecdotal like your friend Dave at the pub''' (See '''Figure 1''')'''.''' Everyone trusts their sources differently (Dave might actually be a rocket scientist!) but it's VERY difficult to tell if people are just making shit up. To make this process easier, there is a [[Referencing|cheat sheet]], based in science which everyone can use to point them in the right direction. Other than that there are a series of techniques called Critical Analysis which can help you figure it out for your self.
 ==Critical Analysis Techniques==
 [[File:Hierarchy of Sciences.png|alt=Hierarchy of Sciences|thumb|'''Figure 2'''. Hierarchy of Sciences]]
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 Primarily, the information we consume should be unbiased and as factual as possible ('''Figure 3'''). The closest and most abundant source of this are scientific journal articles. Articles go through an approval process, the editor receives an article then sends it out to other scientists, who provide feedback and recommend whether the paper should be published. This practice only became a requirement by most journals in the 1970s and ’80s and reduces poor science by:
 *reducing information overload by eliminating irrelevant or weak studies.
-*identifying the most relevant papers.[[File:Weighting hierarchy.png|alt=Weighting hierarchy|thumb|'''Figure 4:''' Scientific weighting hierarchy.]]
+*identifying the most relevant papers.[[File:Weighting hierarchy.png|alt=Weighting hierarchy|thumb|'''Figure 3:''' Scientific weighting hierarchy.]]
 *distinguishing evidence from opinion, assumptions, misreporting, and belief.
 *assessing the validity of the study.
 *assessing the usefulness and clinical applicability of the study.
 This is illustrated in '''Figure 4''' and is the key filtering technique that Burnzero uses to write articles. In fact on every page, at the bottom is a section named '''Reference''', by clicking on the link next to the individual referenced article ([1], [2], [3] etc) you will be taken to an abstract or full article which is only featured if it fits within the higher levels of this hierarchy. Therefore, no news sources are used, only verifiable scientific papers, the intention of this is to bring us closer to fact than fiction.

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