| More
likely to be true if... |
Less
likely to be true if ... |
| Uses footnotes. |
No footnotes. |
| Footnotes check out. |
Argues from silence. Example: "No one saw JFK's
body from 12:09 to 12:23 so no one can prove that a UFO didn't descend
and switch bodies with an alien during that time." |
| Evidence relates to conclusions. |
Requires amazing precision of action from people
who don't normally work together. |
| Author admits weak parts of case. |
Claims all who have evidence to prove the case
have died under suspicious circumstances. |
| Uses evidence from a wide variety of sources,
both mainstream and progressive. |
Uses evidence from far right-wing or far left wing sources uncritically. |
| Follows the money. |
Uses the US Communist party, Bill O' Riley, Ann Coulter, John Stossel or the X-files as a source. |
| Uses sources that are read by experts in a particular
field not just mass media sources. |
Assumes that corporations act in our best interests. |
| Uses sources that provide evidence that works
against the interests of the source. |
Assumes that politicians act in our best interests. |
| Has specifics and more than one or two of them. |
Assumes that wealthy people act in our best interests. |
| Corrects previous mistakes the author made. |
Assumes that corporate officials, politicians and
the wealthy never act in our best interests. |
| From a peer-reviewed journal or from a source known to publish credible evidence. |
Has a headline of the form "X to do Y"
This means X hasn't done Y. |
| Treats contrasting views fairly. |
Makes assumptions from probability that are not likely. For example, says "isn't it obvious that a reasonable person would have done this" when it isn't obvious. |
| Previous work by the author is known to be well thought of and proved reliable. |
Commits the "tree with no forest" fallacy - Wondering why one piece of evidence was not observed and acted upon when the person had thousands of other pieces in front of them at the time. |
| The source is cited by other credible sources. |
Hides the methodology used or refuses to provide primary data. |
| Last modified 9/28/06; posted 9/19/2000. © 2006 John P. Nordin |
