inquiry research TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

Have students work in small groups to develop a set of questions they will use to determine reliability, credibility, and bias when reviewing sources. Then, provide each group with one or two articles on topics of interest and ask them to use the questions they developed to evaluate the articles. Have groups share their observations with the class, using evidence to support their responses. Document student responses to record their level of understanding.
 

Further Explanation

This skill is introduced in sixth grade and students in seventh grade will still be developing the skill. Students need to know what questions to ask themselves in order to be able to determine reliability, credibility, and bias.

the quality of having reliable and trustworthy characteristics and being accepted as true or real
Students should be able to review research sources to determine if they are valid references for gathering information. Students could review a source by considering the objectivity of their information. Examining sources typically requires students to do some research on the source itself to determine if it should be used. Students might need to determine the reputation a source has amongst peers in that field; consider the consistency of previously provided information or documentations (Has the source been proven wrong or questioned regularly?); and/or determine if there are any affiliations between the source and parties who benefit from the source’s presenting the facts in a certain way.
When reviewing sources, students should specifically determine if they are reliable and credible or contain bias of any kind. A reliable source is one that presents a well-thought-out argument, information, or discussion based on accurate evidence. Credible sources are those that have established a reputation for being trustworthy and accurate. When a source contains bias, it leans toward a certain outcome or idea. For example, if a survey states that a large sample of people agree that the Dallas Cowboys are the best football team in Texas, but the only people surveyed were people in a Dallas Cowboys fan shop, the survey results can be considered biased and not objective.
a source that is accurate, based on fact, current, logically sound and written by a qualified author

Research

1. Francke, H., Sundin, O., & Limberg, L. (2011). Debating credibility: The shaping of information literacies in upper secondary schools. Journal of Documentation, 67(4), 675–694. doi: 10.1108/00220411111145043

Summary: Francke, Sundin, and Limberg examine how secondary students assess the credibility of a resource. The study questions whether students place more credibility on digital resources than print resources. The students in this study were observed and interviewed as they were tasked with searching for information from various sources. Information literacy includes determining the credibility of a resource. The authors include four different approaches that can be used to assess resources for their credibility.  

2. Christensen-Branum, L., Strong, A., & Jones, C. O. (2018). Mitigating myside bias in argumentation. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 62(4), 435–445. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.915

Summary: In this study, students learn how to examine sources to determine whether a source is reliable, credible, and/or biased. The authors outline specific questions that the student should ask when reviewing any source. Does the author provide a counterargument? Does the author use current research to support their position? Does the author use primary or secondary resources? Does the author use a negative tone of voice or negative language to talk about the subject? Most importantly, the student should be able to determine whether the author critically reflected upon the idea and presented the information without bias. 

3. White. A. (2016). Using digital think-alouds to build comprehension of online informational texts. The Reading Teacher, 69(4), 421–425. doi:10.1002/trtr.1438

Summary: This article targets the ongoing consumption and creation of information online and in other digital spaces. White suggests that the fluidity and dynamics of digital information represents significant difficulties for students. Students are required to develop information literacy skills, strategies, and attitudes that support ways to critically assess resources for bias, reliability, and credibility.