What Significant Information is Omitted? Flashcards
Significant Omitted Information
Information that would affect whether you should be influenced by a writer’s arguments, that is, information that shapes the reasoning
Causes for Incomplete Reasoning
Time and Space Limitations Limited Attention Span Inadequacies in Human Knowledge Deception Existence of Different Perspectives
Common Kinds of Significant Information
Common counterarguments
Missing definitions
Missing value preferences or perspectives
Origins of facts referred to in the argument
Details of procedures used for gathering facts
Alternative techniques for gathering or organizing the evidence
Missing or incomplete figures, graphs, tables, or data
Omitted effects, both positive and negative, and both short-and long-term, of what is advocated and what is opposed
Context of quotes and testimonials
Benefits accruing to the author from convincing others to follow her advice
Clues for finding Common Counterarguments
What reasons would someone who disagrees offer?
Are there research studies that contradict the studies presented?
Are there missing examples, testimonials, or analogies that support the other side of the argument?
Clues for finding Missing Definitions
How would the arguments differ if key terms were defined in other ways?
Clues for finding Missing Value Preferences or Perspectives
Would different values create a different approach to this issue?
What arguments would flow from values different from those of the writer?
Clues for finding Origins of “Facts” referred to in the Argument
What is the Source for the Facts?
Are the Factual claims supported by competent research or by reliable sources?
Clues for finding Details of procedures used for Gathering Facts
How many people completed the questionnaire?
How were the survey questions worded?
Did respondents have ample opportunity to provide answers different from those reported by the person using the responses?
Clues for Alternative Techniques for Gathering and Organizing the Evidence
How might the results from an interview study differ from written questionnaire results?
Would a laboratory experiment have created more reliable and informative results?
Clues for Missing or incomplete figures, graphs, tables, or data
Would the data look different if it included evidence from earlier or latter years?
Has the author “stretched” the figure to make the differences look larger?
Clues for finding Omitted effects, both positive and negative, and both short- and long-term, of what is advocated and what is opposed
Has the argument left out important positive or negative consequences of a proposed action?
Do we need to know the impact of the action on any of the following areas: political, social, economic, biological, spiritual, health, or environmental?
Clues for finding Context of Quotes and Testimonials
Has a quote or testimonial been taken out of context?
Would a different context have stimulated divergent responses?
Clues for finding Benefits Accruing to the Author from Convincing other to Follow his or her advice
Will the author benefit financially if we adopt her proposed policy?
Does the author’s career depend in some manner on a particular conclusion?
Importance of Negative Views
Which segments of society do not benefit from a proposed action? Who loses? What do the losers have to say about it?
How does the proposed action affect the distribution of power?
Does the action influence the extent of democracy in our society?
How does a particular action affect how we view the world: What we think, how we think, and what we know and can know?
What are the action’s effects on our health?
How does the action influence our relationships with another? With the natural environment?
Will the action have a slow, cumulative impact?
