verifiable truths, or information that is independent of opinion (Gunn 2017, loc. 193)
whereas opinion is an expression of personal feeling or judgement
numerical facts or measurements about a large group or collection (Gunn 2017, loc. 194)
a preference for something or even for beliefs, ideas, and values that benefit you or others unequally (Gunn 2017, loc. 199)
- Does the data support the ethical, political, or religious goals of a person or an organization? If so, do those goals stand to hurt or disadvantage others?
- Does the data support the financial gains of a person or an organization? Would such gains hurt or disadvantage others?
- Does the data represent what the speaker claims it represents? How do you know? (Gunn 2017)
- What or who is the source of the information? Is the source trustworthy and reliable? (Gunn 2017)
- Does the source try to minimize its own bias? Does the source stand to profit, financially or otherwise, by pushing favorable statistics? What, in other words, does a source have to gain from its statistics? (Gunn 2017, loc. 199)
opinions are judgments that may or may not depend on facts or knowledge (Gunn 2017, loc. 201)
one of the most famous uses of a declaration of faith was by Martin Luther King Jr. in his much studied and quoted “I Have a Dream” speech
Because King does not evoke the specific tenets of his religious faith, the speech has the power to inspire all who listen to it. (Gunn 2017, loc. 206)
descriptive representations used to illustrate claims (Gunn 2017, loc. 205)
extended examples that follow a familiar pattern that includes a beginning, a middle, and an end
stories give meaning to the sequence of events in our lives (Gunn 2017, loc. 208)
e.g., Ronald Reagan
- What kind of speech is called for?
- What is the setting and mood of the speech?
- Who is the audience of the speech? (Gunn 2017, loc. 191)