We come across a massive amount of texts and arguments every day, and by using the information contained in Chapter nine, we can become more informed and more critical in our analysis of these arguments. One of the most important sections in this essay was regarding the evaluation of sources—whether print or electronic. Print sources must be verified by checking the date, validity of citations, expertise of the author, and the author’s background. In doing so, critical readers get a full sense of how reliable each argument is and where its weaknesses are. Another benefit for critical readers and thinkers conveyed through chapter nine is the explanation of plagiarism. Goshgarian explains the definition of plagiarism in the writing community and its serious effects in the writing community, and states: “If you fail to acknowledge your sources or let it appear that someone else’s work is your own, you are sabotaging the exchange of scholarly information. (272). When critical readers come across an argument that has been plagiarized, it makes it very obvious for them the unreliability of both the argument and, more importantly, the author. The author can no more be a convincing or reliable narrator, but instead, his argument unacceptable. Knowing about plagiarism helps critical readers and thinkers in understanding what arguments are completely unacceptable in reliability, no matter how accurate the supporting evidences might be. In incorrectly attributing a piece of text to an individual who didn’t author it is a great misdemeanor, and critical readers and thinkers should be aware of the various forms of plagiarism as well as how they can negatively affect an
We come across a massive amount of texts and arguments every day, and by using the information contained in Chapter nine, we can become more informed and more critical in our analysis of these arguments. One of the most important sections in this essay was regarding the evaluation of sources—whether print or electronic. Print sources must be verified by checking the date, validity of citations, expertise of the author, and the author’s background. In doing so, critical readers get a full sense of how reliable each argument is and where its weaknesses are. Another benefit for critical readers and thinkers conveyed through chapter nine is the explanation of plagiarism. Goshgarian explains the definition of plagiarism in the writing community and its serious effects in the writing community, and states: “If you fail to acknowledge your sources or let it appear that someone else’s work is your own, you are sabotaging the exchange of scholarly information. (272). When critical readers come across an argument that has been plagiarized, it makes it very obvious for them the unreliability of both the argument and, more importantly, the author. The author can no more be a convincing or reliable narrator, but instead, his argument unacceptable. Knowing about plagiarism helps critical readers and thinkers in understanding what arguments are completely unacceptable in reliability, no matter how accurate the supporting evidences might be. In incorrectly attributing a piece of text to an individual who didn’t author it is a great misdemeanor, and critical readers and thinkers should be aware of the various forms of plagiarism as well as how they can negatively affect an