Critical Analysis and Sourcing Flashcards
7 cards from real Rise Placement Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Critical Analysis and Sourcing flashcards as text
A news article cites 'a recent study' without naming the institution or authors. What is the most significant problem with this sourcing?
Answer: The claim cannot be independently verified or fact-checked
Without a named institution or authors, readers cannot locate the original study to verify its methods, sample size, or conclusions.
Which logical fallacy occurs when someone argues that a policy must be wrong because the person proposing it has bad character?
Answer: Ad hominem
Ad hominem attacks the person making the argument rather than the argument itself.
A graph shows rising ice cream sales and rising drowning rates occurring simultaneously. What critical thinking error would it be to conclude that ice cream causes drownings?
Answer: Confusing correlation with causation
Both variables are linked to a third factor (hot weather), illustrating that correlation does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
When evaluating an online source, which domain extension most reliably indicates a peer-reviewed academic institution?
Answer: .edu
.edu domains in the US are restricted to accredited educational institutions, making them more likely to host scholarly content.
A politician says, 'You're either with us on this bill, or you're against the country.' This is an example of which fallacy?
Answer: False dilemma
A false dilemma presents only two options when more exist, forcing an artificial either/or choice.
Which element of a source is MOST important for determining whether its information is still accurate?
Answer: Publication or last-updated date
The publication or last-updated date tells you whether the information reflects current knowledge or has been superseded by newer research.
A student finds two sources: one peer-reviewed journal article and one popular magazine article on the same topic. For a research paper, why is the journal article generally preferred?
Answer: Journal articles have been reviewed by subject-matter experts before publication
Peer review means independent experts have evaluated the methodology and conclusions, lending greater credibility to journal articles.