English 1302 Evaluating Sources: Home

You are working for a victims' rights organization that is arguing that it should be legal to execute offenders who committed their crime at the age of 17 even though they are not legally adults.  The three components of their argument are:

• At the age of 17, offenders are capable of understanding the consequences for murdering innocent people, so their punishment should not be any different than that of an 18 year old.
• The public finds it acceptable to execute murderers who commit their crimes at the age of 17, therefore it is not cruel and unusual.
• The fear of being sent to adult prison and execution will deter juveniles from committing serious crimes.

The president of the organization has asked you to compile some research that supports each component of the argument.

Browse the following resource and answer the questions in the comments section of the box titled Source 1 Questions.

1. What type of source is this (web site, newspaper article, scholarly article, etc.)?
2. What have you discovered about the author of this source? Does this information make the source more credible or less credible? Why?
3. What information have you found in other sources that supports the arguments made in this source? List the sources.
4. Is there more recent information that supports or negates the arguments made in this source?  What is this information?  List the sources?
5. What are this sources weaknesses?
6. What are this sources strengths?
7. Would you use this source to support your argument? Why or why not?

Browse the following resource and answer the questions in the comments section of the box titled Source 2 Questions.

1. What type of source is this (web site, newspaper article, scholarly article, etc.)?
2. What have you discovered about the author of this source? Does this information make the source more credible or less credible? Why?
3. What information have you found in other sources that supports the arguments made in this source? List the sources.
4. Is there more recent information that supports or negates the arguments made in this source?  What is this information?  List the sources?
5. What are this sources weaknesses?
6. What are this sources strengths?
7. Would you use this source to support your argument? Why or why not?

Browse the following resource and answer the questions in the comments section of the box titled Source 3 Questions.

1. What type of source is this (web site, newspaper article, scholarly article, etc.)?
2. What have you discovered about the author of this source? Does this information make the source more credible or less credible? Why?
3. What information have you found in other sources that supports the arguments made in this source? List the sources.
4. Is there more recent information that supports or negates the arguments made in this source?  What is this information?  List the sources?
5. What are this sources weaknesses?
6. What are this sources strengths?
7. Would you use this source to support your argument? Why or why not?