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 headline reads: 'New Drug Eliminates Cancer in Lab Mice.' What is the most important caveat a critical reader should keep in mind?
Answer: The drug has not yet been tested in human clinical trials
Results in animal models frequently do not translate to human medicine, so lab success alone does not indicate an effective human treatment.
Which of the following is the strongest indicator that a website is a credible source of health information?
Answer: The content is reviewed by licensed medical professionals and cites peer-reviewed studies
Expert review and citation of peer-reviewed research are hallmarks of credible health information, unlike popularity or aesthetics.
When an author presents only the weakest version of an opposing argument in order to refute it easily, this is called:
Answer: Straw man fallacy
A straw man distorts or oversimplifies the opposing view so it can be knocked down without addressing its strongest points.
A blog post written in 2015 discusses smartphone security risks. Why might this source be insufficient for a 2026 research paper?
Answer: The technology landscape and threats have changed significantly since 2015
Cybersecurity evolves rapidly, so an eleven-year-old source is likely to omit current threats, standards, and technologies.
Which question is MOST useful for assessing the purpose of a source?
Answer: Why was this content created—to inform, persuade, sell, or entertain?
Identifying the author's purpose reveals potential bias and helps you understand how the content frames information.
An opinion editorial argues that since violent video games became popular, school violence has increased. What logical error does this commit?
Answer: Post hoc ergo propter hoc (false cause)
Arguing that because B followed A, A caused B is the post hoc fallacy—sequence in time does not prove causation.
Which action best demonstrates 'lateral reading' when fact-checking an unfamiliar source?
Answer: Opening new browser tabs to search what others say about the source
Lateral reading means leaving the source immediately to search for independent assessments of its credibility, as professional fact-checkers do.