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Try It! Survey - What Can You Believe?

Understanding the purpose of a piece of writing is a crucial step in assessing how valid and reliable it is. Is the author trying to sell a product, an idea? Is the piece a response to an argument? An objective report on a news item? A subjective analysis of data? The results of a survey?

The first step in reading is to note the source of the article or essay. Is it from an academic journal, a daily newspaper, a tabloid, a government Web site, a commercial Web site intending to sell something, or a personal Web site where the author's background is not mentioned. Each type of publication will have its own purpose and style. The obvious ones are easy - the Web site for a political party will have its own particular point of view; a Web site discussing the advantages of herbal medicine will lose some objectivity if it's also trying to sell you herbal products; a movie review by a fanzine devoted to the star may not even remotely ressemble the review by a professional critic. Therefore, you need to assess what kind of information you're looking for and determine its validity for your purpose.

Begin by reading the introductory paragraph, as this is where the author will generally provide his/her point of view. If you aren't sure it's stated there, try reading the last paragraph of the section, or the last paragraph of the entire piece. This is where the author generally summarizes his/her ideas.

To practice determining the purpose of a piece of writing and author's perspective, choose two of the following articles. Take a quick look, reading no more than two or three paragraphs, then answer the questions below. Then return to the article and finish reading it to see if your initial impressions were accurate.

1. The 101 Dumbest Moments in Business
Annual feature from Business 2.0 magazine

2. The Make Money Fast Myth Page
Article from the National Post

3. For 2002, expect modest evolutions in gadgetry
Predictions from canoe.ca

4. Learning to Go Unplugged
by Jamie McKenzie in From Now On, The Educational Technology Journal

Exercise 1

1. Identify the article you chose by number.
What, in your opinion, is the purpose of this article?

2. What is the perspective of the author?

3. Write your version of a different perspective in the box below:

Exercise 2

1. Identify the article you chose by number.
What, in your opinion, is the purpose of this article?

2. What is the perspective of the author?

3. Write your version of a different perspective in the box below:

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Your name:
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