Credibility statement...help?

[Student]

Ok, so I'm in high school right now and am writing my argumentative paper about the death penalty. (pro)

I'm using this site as a source, but my teacher wants me to include a statement as to why this site is credible......could someone help me out? I've searched all over the site trying to find out how this is a credible source but cant find anything...BUT I REALLY WANT TO USE THIS SOURCE!

I'm referencing the graph found here: www.prodeathpenalty.com/deterrence.htm

Help or a credibility statement would be amazing, as the draft must be turned in by tommorow.

Thanks.

[Lisa]

It states that the stats are from the U.S. Dept. of Justice. Would that satisfy your teacher?

[RickZ]

Student said:

Ok, so I'm in high school right now and am writing my argumentative paper about the death penalty. (pro)

I'm using this site as a source, but my teacher wants me to include a statement as to why this site is credible......

Just curious: Is your teacher making that statement a requirement for just you (or this site), or is the teacher making everyone state why a site, or book, cited in their papers is credible?

[DeadElvis]

Here is a site from Stanford U on the subject of web credibility. They provide a list of guidelines that increases a site's credibility. If you explore this a little, I think you will find that this site meets most if not all the guidelines listed.

www.webcredibility.org/guidelines/

Bear in mind that credibility is a very subjective term. Many folks determine credibility based simply on whether or not the site's content conforms with their own personal beliefs.

[brumsongs]

deadelvis said:

Here is a site from Stanford U on the subject of web credibility. They provide a list of guidelines that increases a site's credibility. If you explore this a little, I think you will find that this site meets most if not all the guidelines listed.

www.webcredibility.org/guidelines/

Bear in mind that credibility is a very subjective term. Many folks determine credibility based simply on whether or not the site's content conforms with their own personal beliefs.

plus Beedo posts here and you don't get more credible than that.

[Deleted]

As I recall from my own school days 2000 years ago (and that of my kids) the best way to present a credible paper is to use original sources, and more than one, to back up what you're saying. This site is biased, has a leaning, which makes it less than credible unless you back it up with others that aren't. If this site lists a source, use that (original) source rather than this one.

For example, if this site says 14000 murderers will be released one day, their say so is a big yawn. Where they found the data (and what stats) made them come to this conclusion makes your paper more convincing ~ more credible.

Good luck.
Lynne

[DeadElvis]

wonderwoman said:

As I recall from my own school days 2000 years ago (and that of my kids) the best way to present a credible paper is to use original sources, and more than one, to back up what you're saying. This site is biased, has a leaning, which makes it less than credible unless you back it up with others that aren't. If this site lists a source, use that (original) source rather than this one.

For example, if this site says 14000 murderers will be released one day, their say so is a big yawn. Where they found the data (and what stats) made them come to this conclusion makes your paper more convincing ~ more credible.

Good luck.
Lynne

Keep in mind that the "site" is more than the forum we spend the most time at which does have a definate lean. However, there are lots of info links off the main page that are based on court records, case histories, victim statements, government statistics, etc. I assume that is what the original poster wanted to use as a source.

Besides, equally showing both sides of an argument is not what makes a website credible or not credible. Access to information and the quality and accuracy of that information plays a much greater role.

[Deleted]

deadelvis said:

wonderwoman said:

As I recall from my own school days 2000 years ago (and that of my kids) the best way to present a credible paper is to use original sources, and more than one, to back up what you're saying. This site is biased, has a leaning, which makes it less than credible unless you back it up with others that aren't. If this site lists a source, use that (original) source rather than this one.

For example, if this site says 14000 murderers will be released one day, their say so is a big yawn. Where they found the data (and what stats) made them come to this conclusion makes your paper more convincing ~ more credible.

Good luck.
Lynne

Keep in mind that the "site" is more than the forum we spend the most time at which does have a definate lean. However, there are lots of info links off the main page that are based on court records, case histories, victim statements, government statistics, etc. I assume that is what the original poster wanted to use as a source.

True. But the site itself is biased, even though I think largely uses credible sources. But what looks better ~ more persuasive ... if you give stats on a paper listing a biased source such as this, or if you give (for example) the same stats and use BJS as a source? I suggest the latter.

And, some of the written works are position/persuasive papers, so the conclusions come to in them are the author's and may not be the conclusion someone else might come to, even based on the sources listed in those papers. And, I'll note that one of the authors for this site likes to cite his own prior works as a 'credible' source.

[Deleted]

This link might also be helpful to you:

leo.stcloudstate.edu/research/credibility1.html

It's specific to writing papers with web sites as sources.

[PIP]

rickz said:

Student said:

Ok, so I'm in high school right now and am writing my argumentative paper about the death penalty. (pro)

I'm using this site as a source, but my teacher wants me to include a statement as to why this site is credible......

Just curious: Is your teacher making that statement a requirement for just you (or this site), or is the teacher making everyone state why a site, or book, cited in their papers is credible?

I have to do this too for many papers. It is good that the teacher is making the students do this... It can be called an annotated bibliography or a historiography... They are useful because they help the student think critically about which sources they are using. And I agree with Lynne that the student would be better served to use the original source rather than this site. I think this is a good starting point to guide students to a wealth of information available on the topic.

Good luck