Erudite Relics of Loc Huu Ho

RECORDING THE FINDINGS

Record primary research findings by a medium that suits your purpose.
Record secondary research findings as notes.

• Taking Notes (decide what to record and how to record the item; Record the sources of all internet-based material)
• Quoting the Work of Others (avoid plagiarism by correctly citing your sources; it is better to paraphrase your borrowed material to draw your conclusions from other works)
• Paraphrasing the Work of Others (to express the original idea in a clear, simple, direct, or emphatic way without distorting the idea and giving full credit to the source)

• Elements of an effective paraphrase:

reference to the author early in the paraphrase, to indicate the beginning of the borrowed passage

keywords retained from the original, to preserve the meaning

original sentences restructured and combined, for emphasis and fluency

needless words from the original deleted, for conciseness

your own word and phrases that help explain the author’s ideas, for clarity

a citation (in parentheses) of the exact source, to mark the end of the borrowed passage and to give full credit

preservation of the author’s original intent

EVALUATING AND INTERPRETING INFORMATION

How dependable are the sources?

• Are they up to date?
• Are they reputable?
• Are they trustworthy?
• Who sponsored the study? Is the information biased due to “strategic research”?
• What are similar sources saying?

How convincing is the evidence?

• Is there enough to support the conclusions? Is the Evidence sufficient?
• Is it balanced and reasonable?
• Is the evidence hard (factual statements that can be verified) or soft (uninformed opinion or speculation, data obtained or analyzed unscientifically, and findings that have not been replicated or reviewed by experts)? Can it all be verified?

What do these evidence/findings mean?

• How certain can I be? What level of certainty is warranted?
• Are the underlying assumptions sound?
• Might I be biased? Reasoning versus rationalizing.
• Are other interpretations possible? What else could this mean?

1. The definitive truth-the conclusive answer:
   Truth is…the reality of the matter, as distinguished from what people wish were so, believe to be so, or assert to be so. From another perspective, in the words of Harvard philosopher Israel Scheffler, truth is the view “which is fated to be ultimately agreed to be all who investigate.” The word ultimately is important. Investigation may produce a wrong answer for years, even for centuries….Does truth ever change? No….One easy way to spare yourself any further confusion about truth is to reserve the word truth for the final answer to an issue. Get in the habit of using the words, belief, theory, and present understanding more often. (Ruggiero 21-22)
2. The probable answer: the answer that stands the best chance of being true or accurate-given the most we can know at this particular time. Probable answers are subject to revision in the light of new information.
3. The inconclusive answer: the realization that the truth of the matter is far more elusive, ambiguous, or complex than we expected.

Where are the weak spots?

• Are the generalizations warranted?
• Are the causal claims warranted?
• Can the numbers be trusted?
• What flaws are possible here?