Information Handling Higher Modern Studies CfE

Detecting Objectivity

Learning Intention By the end of this section, you should be able to: – Evaluate the extent of objectivity in a view, based on evidence extracted from a range of complex sources;

Detecting Objectivity Questions These questions are similar to the Selective in the Use of Facts questions you practiced at National 5 You will be given between 2 and 4 sources of complex information, and a view You have to use the evidence to come to a decision about how objective the view is It is worth 8 marks and you will have up to 18 minutes to complete it in your exam

What is Objectivity? These are effectively SUPPORT and OPPOSE questions You will be given a view and three sources – your job is to identify evidence that supports the view, evidence that opposes the view AND make a decision on how accurate (or objective) the view is overall

Practice Paper Have a look at the practice question you’ve been issued The view here is: – “The economy is the most important issue in the referendum debate” You have to evaluate the extent to which that view is accurate In other words, how true is that statement, based on the evidence?

Activity In pairs, go through the sources and highlight evidence in two different colours – one colour for evidence that supports the view, and another colour for evidence that opposes the view

What Should an Answer Include? Evidence – There are 6 marks available for your use of evidence – That means you should provide at least 3 pieces of evidence for each side of the argument – These pieces of evidence should be synthesised/linked, just the same as you would in National 5 – ALL sources must be used in your answer

Model Answer – Supporting the Statement / View The statement is accurate to an extent because source A states that a BBC poll of 1008 people found the economy to be the most important issue to voters in the referendum. Source C supports this when it refers to the same poll, stating “pensions came second in a list of the 10 things that mattered most to voters – only the economy was deemed more important”. Source A also shows how important the economic arguments were in the debate for both campaigns. For instance, it states that the Yes campaign argued that Scotland’s oil production would lead to the country being £5bn better off by 2030, should it become independent. The Better Together campaign, on the other hand, argued that the union was the only way to protect Scotland’s economic strength, warning that taxes would inevitably go up significantly if Scotland were independent. This demonstrates that voters and both campaigns viewed the economy as a particularly important issue in the referendum debate.

Model Answer – Opposing the Statement / View However, the sources also suggest that there are other key issues which voters are concerned about in relation to the referendum. Source B contains the results of an opinion poll by the BSA which highlights that many Scottish voters are against nuclear weapons. 28% of respondents were strongly against the nuclear deterrent, which is the highest percentage response. Source A supports this when it states that “the issue of nuclear weapons in Scotland is also likely to be a huge factor in determining whether Scotland becomes independent or not” and identifies nuclear weapons as a key factor in the Yes campaign. However, nuclear weapons are not the most important issue to voters, as source A also shows that it was ranked 8 th in importance out of the 10 issues in the BBC poll.

Model Answer – Opposing the Statement / View Furthermore, pensions is a crucial issue to voters in the referendum. Source C states that “the issue of pensions has consistently registered as one of the key issues in the independence debate” and highlights that it polled second top in the BBC poll. Source A supports this by also noting its position as second in the BBC poll. However, whilst pensions are clearly an important issue in the campaign, the evidence in the sources suggests that the economy is more important.

What Should an Answer Include? An overall judgement – how accurate is the view? – There are 2 marks available for your conclusion – You cannot get more than 6 marks in total for the question if this is not present – You must make an overall statement as to the extent of accuracy/objectivity in the view – Use evaluative language to do this accurately

Model Conclusion “Overall, it is highly accurate to state that the economy is the most important issue in the independence debate. Sources A and C highlight a BBC poll in which prospective voters placed the economy above all other issues in importance and the campaigns have emphasised the economic arguments. Although other issues, such as pensions and nuclear weapons (as shown in all three sources), are also key factors for voters and the economy is not the only issue they will consider when casting their vote Overall, it is clear that the economy is the most crucial element of the debate for both voters and campaigners.”

What Should an Answer Include? Comment on the reliability/origin of the sources – There are 2 marks available for your analysis of the sources’ origins – You should comment on the source itself and whether it is biased, reliable, etc. – This is similar to the skill you used in the Nat 5 assignment – For example, if the source was IPSOS-MORI, a reputable polling organisation, it would likely be more reliable, whereas an article from the Daily Mail is highly likely to be biased

Model Source Analysis The reliability and origin of the sources may alter the accuracy of the statement and must also be considered. Sources A and C are adapted from various sources including the BBC’s online content. This may be an advantage as the BBC is a regulated broadcaster which must retain neutrality by law, and the inclusion of other sources means alternative views may have been considered. However, there is no detail on what the other sources included were, and as such their accuracy and validity must be questioned – they may have come from reputable news agencies, but are just as likely to have been sourced from biased newspapers or uninformed online blogs. Since we are unclear on this, sources A and C must be considered of questionable reliability. Source B is taken from the British Social Attitudes Survey, which is a reputable and widely respected independent survey with no political agenda; this means it is an impartial source and more reliable. However, it is unknown how many people were surveyed, and so the sample size may be too small for the results to be statistically significant.

Structuring an Answer To gain full marks, you must give: 1.Evidence that supports the statement and shows it is accurate 2.Evidence that opposes the statement and shows it is exaggerated / biased / inaccurate 3.An overall explanation of HOW OBJECTIVE the statement is 4.Analysis of the origin and reliability of the sources

Activity In pairs, complete the second practice paper you have been issued Peer mark another pair’s work – match it up with the marking guidelines and give both positive feedback and constructive comment on how to improve Remember: – 3 pieces of synthesised evidence in support of the statement (3 marks) – 3 pieces of synthesised evidence that opposes the statement (3 marks) – An overall judgement on how accurate the statement is (2 marks) – A comment on the reliability and origin of the sources (2 marks) A maximum of 6 marks if no evaluative judgement made 8 marks maximum mark EVEN IF they have gained all possible marks in each section

Homework Complete the question on race discrimination for next Wednesday Don’t worry about timing yourself – get the skills right instead as your focus

Learning Intentions Can you now…? – Evaluate the extent of objectivity in a view, based on evidence extracted from a range of complex sources;