Question

lesson 37 continued

1. a brochure about home security systems, published by a company that sells and installs such systems

1. an article in a tabloid describing miracle cures for cancer, written by a person with no medical or scientific training

1. a reporter writing about foreign policy in the washington post

1. an article in a computer magazine in which a web site designer explains how to upload music onto the internet

exercise b
suppose you are writing a report about cancer research and come across the following paragraph in a major city newspaper. evaluate the credibility of the article. explain your evaluation on the lines below.

new hope for cancer victims
dr. judah folkman, whose credentials include work as a research scientist at the naval medical research center in bethesda, maryland, is working on a promising treatment for certain types of cancer. cancerous tumors need a healthy blood supply, and dr. folkman has succeeded in isolating two chemicals that shrink cancerous tumors in mice. researchers caution that this may not be a cure for cancer in people, because what works with mice may not have the same effect on humans. it will take years of testing before any definitive results are available.

Explanation:

Exercise B (Evaluating the credibility of the cancer research article)

1. Author's Credentials: Dr. Judah Folkman is a research scientist at a medical research center, which gives him relevant expertise in cancer research.
2. Publication Source: The article is in a major city newspaper, which generally has editorial standards for fact - checking, though it's not a peer - reviewed scientific journal.
3. Content Details: The article describes research (shrinking tumors in mice) with appropriate scientific caution (noting differences between mice and humans, and the need for more testing). This shows a level of scientific rigor rather than unsubstantiated claims.
4. Balanced Reporting: It includes the caution from researchers, avoiding over - hyping the results as a definite cure.

The company has a commercial interest (selling/installing systems). So, the brochure may be biased towards promoting their products, potentially overstating benefits or understating limitations.

The author lacks relevant expertise, and tabloids often prioritize sensationalism over accuracy. Miracle - cure claims for cancer are unsubstantiated without scientific backing.

Answer:

The article has reasonable credibility. Dr. Folkman’s credentials (research scientist at a medical research center) give expertise. The major newspaper has basic fact - checking standards. The content presents research (tumor - shrinking in mice) with scientific caution (differences in human response, need for more testing) and balanced reporting (including researcher cautions), avoiding unsubstantiated miracle - cure claims.

For the numbered items (assuming the task is to evaluate credibility, though it's not specified; here's a brief evaluation for each):

2. A brochure about home security systems, published by a company that sells and installs such systems