Overview
& Purpose
Our
modern world is characterized by the exchange of data, as we simultaneously
give and receive it continuously. This happens largely without our direct
knowledge or consent.
We
spend hours each day plugged into a global information system that is so
mind-bendingly complex that it is impossible to fully understand. We need some
kind of framework, or system, to try to make sense of everything. Ideally, a
system that is both simple and effective. It should be easy enough that it is
practical, but also sensitive enough to alert us to various indicators of bogus
information.
Every
decision in modern times is made amidst the heavy seas of information overload,
which is why the ability to properly assess information is a crucial
decision-making skill. The broad purpose of this project is for students to understand
how to differentiate valuable, credible information from the growing problem of
misinformation online. The task is not as simple as it seems. It requires
effort and conviction to pursue a source all to its origin. To make things more
difficult, it is not a very satisfying process.
This
project asks you to use a technique called MAPS Analysis. MAPS is a simple
acronym that stands for: Message, Author, Platform, Sources.
*Instructions Begin on
Next Page*
Instructions:
The project is worth 60
points. The point breakdown is listed within the instructions. Points are
assessed on a half point scale.
Formatting,
Grading, and Other Notes;
· We are grading for how
thoroughly the student address the criteria below. There are a lot of details
in this project; it is intended to be rigorous and nuanced. It’s common for
students to need to read the instructions a few times, as this is not a
standard persuasive presentation/speech that many are accustomed to.
· This project asks you to
conduct the same MAPS Analysis five times. So, the better and more efficient
your system for applying MAPS, the smoother this project will be.
· Please use the
PowerPoint template provided in your Canvas course site under Modules -> MAPS
Project to complete the project
· Use 12-point Times New
Roman font to complete the project.
· Follow the formatting in
the template exactly as provided.
· All responses should be
in complete sentences and as concise as possible. There is not a minimum length
requirement on this project, so please do not feel the need to fluff up
the project.
· The more direct your
answers, the faster we are able to grade, the sooner the class receives
feedback on their work.
·
Photographs/pictures
are not necessary. They will not be considered in the grading of the project.
Instructions:
1. Identify a topic. 4 Points
Choose
a topic within the study of global food controversies. Check the course
calendar for a weekly list of what is covered in class. Topics outside of the
course calendar are permitted, but please confirm with instructor first. Your
topic should be narrowly focused and crystal clear. For example, “What Are
GMOs?” is too broad for this project. “Does the Consumption of GMOs Negatively
Impact Individual or Environmental Health?” would be better topic.
Be
sure to choose a topic around which there is considerable debate. Do not choose
an uncontroversial topic such as, “Is Childhood Obesity a Public Health
Problem?” There will be little to no credible articles, videos, etc. claiming
that childhood obesity is not a public health problem. Instead, consider
focusing on details within the problem of childhood obesity, such as, “What
Foods and/or Cultural Factors Contribute to Childhood Obesity?”
2. Find sources. The goal of this project
is NOT to establish or defend a stance on any issue. We use the Discussion
boards for that. The goal of the project is to evaluate sources in order
to determine if the information presented by that source is legitimate.
[10 points total, 2 points per source, half
point scale]
Source requirements:
a.
There
must be 5 sources
b.
No more than 2 sources may come from the media library from this
course.
Students are permitted to use up to 2 sources from this course, but not more
than that. The other 3 sources must come from the student’s own research.
c.
Sources
must represent at least one pro-, one anti-, and one neutral stance. Do not use
exclusively pro-, anti-, or neutral media.
i.
For
example, if the topic area of my project is bushmeat, I might have a source
list that looks something like this (note that these are not real sources,
and a headline alone is usually not sufficient to determine an article’s
position):
1.
Primates, and Why Eating Them is Cannibalism (anti)
2.
Hunger & Morality: An Evaluation of Protein Availability and
Food Customs in Impoverished Countries (neutral)
3.
Get Over It: We Need Alternative Meats to Feed the World (pro)
4.
Risks and Benefits of the Bushmeat Trade (neutral)
5.
Risky Business: Why Local Governments Should Subsidize the
Bushmeat Trade (pro)
3.
Cite Sources. Be sure to have all of the information
necessary to cite each source in APA format. Every source you use must have a
listed author(s). Feel free to use a citation generator online to create
citations, such the one located at this convenient link. If an article you
select does not have citations or an author, do not use the article. (5 points,
1 point per citation)
Note: there are several pieces of media in the
course library that do not have a listed author/producer. Do not use those
sources for this project.
4.
Conduct MAPS Analysis. Analyze each of your 5 sources of
information according to the MAPS Analysis. See formatting instructions at the
end of this document.
For
each of your 5 sources, complete the following (items A through D).
40 points total, or 8 points per MAPS
Analysis per source; further breakdown below
a.
Message [2 points per source * 5 sources = 10 points total]
i.
1-Sentence
Summary: in the most basic way possible, what message is being conveyed in this
article/video?
ii.
1-Sentence
Purpose
1.
Does
it exist to describe, analyze, and/or establish, facts?
2.
Does
it exist to provoke argument?
3.
Is
there an obvious emotionally charged agenda?
iii.
Identify
Claims
1.
Isolate
2 claims from each of your 5 sources. See Foundations PowerPoint, Slides
22-40 for various examples of identifying claims.
2.
Indicate
whether or not each claim is supported.
a.
If
a claim is supported, then identify where and how it is supported in the
article.
i.
For
example, “Claim A is supported by Citation 13, which establishes that….,” and
then give a 1-2 sentence summary.
b.
If
the claim is not supported, then indicate what information would be needed to
support it. This means asking “why should I believe this or not?”
i.
For
example, “Claim A states that bushmeats will lead to widespread disease but
does not cite any reference to this occurring. Citation A needs to highlight
instances of bushmeat consumption being directly linked to widespread disease
oubtreak.”
b.
Author [2 points per source * 5 sources = 10
points total]
i.
Is
the author qualified to write about this topic area?
1.
Specifically,
what credentials qualify each author to write about this topic?
2.
What
other topics has each author written about? List 2 other topics, papers,
articles, books, videos, etc. attributable to this author
ii.
What
is the author’s style?
1.
Objective,
inflammatory, emotional, provocative, technical, dry, scientific, colorful, summary,
etc.
iii.
Does
the author write for a specific company or companies and/or who funded this
article/piece of media?
Note: Do not use
articles/publications/sources without a clearly stated author. Do not use articles/publications/sources
without citations. Articles without an author and/or without citations won’t
receive points.
c.
Platform [2 points per source * 5 sources = 10
points total]
i.
What is the platform/website’s purpose and mission? The mission
should be clearly stated somewhere on the platform, usually on the “About”
page.
1.
Is it geared towards a specific demographic? How do you know?
2.
What are the website’s affiliates? Where else does the website
link to? How is the website funded?
3.
How frequently is the website updated?
a.
what are the dates of the first and most recent content added?
b.
How often is new content added?
c.
Is the new content actually new, or does the website
re-post its own content continuously?
d.
Sources. 2 points per source * 5
sources = 10 points total
i.
This is the most frequently confused
dimension of the MAPS Project.
ii.
For each of your 5 sources, identify and discuss 2 citations
(you may have already done some of this when you evaluated claims in Item A)
iii.
For each of your 5 sources, provide a summary of 2 citations
used in the source. Again, you will likely have already done some of this when
evaluating claims in Item A. The Sources dimension simply
elaborates on it.
1.
1-2 sentence summary of each of the 2 citations
2.
Do the author(s) cite any of their own previous works?
5.
Discuss Perspectives. [3 points]
a.
Based
on your research, where do you stand on this issue, personally?
b.
Did
you have any preconceptions about this issue when you started the project?
i.
If
so, did your preconceptions change?
ii.
Did
you find that your preconceptions interfered with your general openness to
dissenting views.
iii.
Did
you encounter any biased or otherwise faulty or fallacious thinking within
yourself during this process? Confirmation bias, perhaps?
c.
Any
other comments on this issue you’d like to make now that your MAPS analysis is
concluded.
Closing
Notes.
Please avoid clickbait that circulates social media. Keep in mind how social
media companies work: they use algorithms designed to present the things that
users are most likely to engage with based on their usage data. This means that
every individual’s social media feed will bias towards the types of things they
are likely to fully agree with or fully disagree with. When users
click on things, they generate ad revenue for the social media company, but the
question of whether that information is representative of reality is not
primary. It’s important to understand this distinction.
The
conflict here should be obvious: social media companies are not in the business
of conveying news, journalism, or objective reporting; they are in the business
of generating ad revenue and “connecting people.” Social media algorithms are
amazing at keeping us engaged, but they also create echo chambers that severely
impair the user’s exposure to dissenting views. This is precisely the type of
limited exposure we aim to avoid in this class!
