Point of View Research Assignment

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Point of View Research Assignment, Spring 2009

In addition to the general research skills you acquire today, we'd like you to engage in a specific assignment to deepen your understanding of point of view. The goal of the assignment is to choose a controversial topic (you can use Opposing Viewpoints to locate some) and then to determine, by reviewing research, what the major points of view are on the topic. Are the points of view organized as pro/con or as a diversity of opinion along a spectrum of some kind (e.g. political, social, economic)? Note how you make the judgment that a particular point of view has "standing" or credibility. Do you base that judgment on the type of publication, the prevalence of articles advocating the position, the authority or credentials of the source, or some other factor? Make your list of points of view and include citations and your comments to exemplify the point of view.

You can work in teams on this to save time. Add your topic below and make a wiki page for your group's list and documentation of point of view.

For example, if your topic was "Middle East Conflict," you could type on a new line below: [[Spring 2009 101 Middle East Point of View Assignment]]. After saving the page, you will see your text as a link to the new page. Your group should edit the new page you just created.

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