How do you separate fact from opinion when researching?

LizAnne Level 1

March 30, 2014, 9:04 am

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How do you separate fact from opinion when researching?

Many times, when you read over an article, even opinions can be stated as fact as if just simply saying them makes it true. And, it can be hard to separate the truth from fiction. What methods do you use when researching online to get the most accurate information and separate facts from opinions?

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angie828

angie828

I make sure to look at a variety of pages online and do much research to get all my facts straight.

10 years ago

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Lillian

Lillian

Many times you can read the same thing again from one article to the next and when you see the same facts recurring again and again you might assume they are true. Still you will want to verify with one very good authoritative resource such as WebMD or wikipedia.

10 years ago

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chetaseo

chetaseo

Opinions are what people think based on their judgement and discretion while facts are what stands no matter what happens and cannot be changed or chalenged because it has been proven for example, that the sun is bigger than the earth is a fact because it has been proven.

9 years ago

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chetaseo

chetaseo

Also opinions can become facts if it can be proven beyond any reasonable doubt. just like what our past scientists have done in the past.

9 years ago

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MercyLove

MercyLove

Wiki is not the most authoritative site as it is user edited. You will want an edu/university site that has authoritative texts from professors and other trained individuals. This informational should be very trustworth as it will be based on extensive studies and field research, not just theory.

9 years ago

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chetaseo

chetaseo

sure, its just that wiki is very popular and contains almost everything that one is searching out for. there are other good authoritative sites as well.

9 years ago

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taffy

taffy

I look for a variety of sources and then go from there. I tend to look for sites that have more authority to them.

9 years ago

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Barida

Barida

I think having to take a look at what the other sites are saying about the fact will now tell you if it is really an opinion or just a fact that is already known by many in that field of study already.

7 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

When I write based on my research, I never fail to cite the origin of the opinion because it is not right to make it appear as fact when in fact it is just an opinion. However, I understand that sometimes you need not cite the author or the person who said that because it may ruin the tenor of the paragraph. I remember the olden days when a manuscript would always have a footnote that contains names or sources of the quoted statements. Maybe we still can use those footnotes just to be on the safe side.

6 years ago

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