Transcript
Assignment #2 (20 Points)
Sources
Name: Francis S. Key III, 02274322
Directions: Type your answers directly on this sheet in the space provided after each question. Please either highlight your answer or type them in RED font. Upload you Assignment as a .doc, .docx or .rtf file when you are finished.
Introduction:
We are saturated with stories from the newspaper, magazines, television, and the Internet about the effectiveness of many products, including cold remedies, health supplements, weight-loss products, and medications. These ads are sometimes difficult to assess, because we cannot completely determine the quality of the information or the extent to which the financial backers of a product are driving information being presented.
A primary source provides direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person, or work of art. Primary sources include historical and legal documents, eyewitness accounts, results of experiments, statistical data, pieces of creative writing, audio and video recordings, speeches, and art objects. Basically, primary source websites report on their own information.
Secondary sources describe, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate, summarize, and process primary sources. Secondary source materials can be articles in newspapers or popular magazines, book or movie reviews, or articles found in scholarly journals that discuss or evaluate someone else's original research. When identifying the difference between a primary and secondary source website, looking at the web address will sometimes aid in quickly determining this difference.
Visit the 3 websites listed below, and answer the following questions. Make sure you proof for errors in spelling, grammar and sentence structure.
http://www.quakeroats.com/home.aspx
http://www.aboutus.org/CholesterClear.com
http://www.lipitor.com/about
Directions:
Complete the following questions. Questions 1 – 10 are short answer questions and should be answered in 2 to 3 words or 1 to 2 complete sentences. Each question is worth 2 pts for a total of 20 points.
Which (if any) of the websites are primary sources?
www.quakeroats.com and www.lipitor.com
Which (if any) of the websites are secondary sources?
www.aboutus.org/CholesterCler.com
Which product seems most plausible? Why?
a. quakeroats
b. quakeroats is a company that makes oatmeal cereal and grits which have approved by the (FDA)
Which product website cited the most convincing data? Explain your answer.
Lipitor has the most convincing data because consumers know the type of company Quaker oats is, however: Lipitor is trying to convince that their product will lower your cholesterol in the blood. It also states that it can lower the risk for heart attack, stroke, certain types of heart surgery, and chest pain in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease
Did any of the websites include anecdotal evidence (personal experiences/observations)? Is anecdotal evidence considered scientific?
a. aboutus.org and Lipitor.com
b. Some people say yes and some say no, I say no it is not because scientific evidence can be independently verified using the scientific method, anecdotal evidence cannot.
Which product would you most likely pick to help lower your cholesterol? Why?
Lipitor because I have heard of it and it has been tested for 20+ years and used by millions of people
What other information do you wish the ads contained that would help you make a better decision?
Factually information that has been proving
Was any information based off of data from an experimental study? Explain your answer.
Lipitor because it stats the following: It has backed by more than 20 years of clinical experience and it has been studied in more than 400 ongoing and completed clinical trails
Did any of the websites have links so you could purchase the product? If so, which one(s)?
Yes, www, aboutus.org/cholesterClear.com
Do you think most people understand what to look for when reviewing products or websites? Why/why not?
No, people don’t like to read small print were most of the most important information is a lot of people go off of information from what others have said about the product.
