Informed Opinion






	C. Munzenmaier • Hamilton College • Urbandale, IA

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What Is an Informed Opinion?

Who would you trust?

• an ad claiming that cheap shampoos work as well as expensive brands

• a CBS news story

• the "Cosmetics Cop"

An informed opinion is based on knowledge of the facts and carefully considered principles. It relies on evidence instead of limited personal experience.

When you choose sources for your papers, you will generally want an informed opinion from a professional source.

If a reporter summarizes a study or quotes an expert, try to find the original source. Generally the original source is considered the most reliable: it's the most complete and you can judge the evidence for yourself.

Not a professional article

This newspaper report is based on a study about how television affects children.

"Too Much Tube Time Can Turn Kids into Bullies"

It can be a good starting point, if you use the article to point you to other sources—such as the original study.

Professional article

To find the original study by Frederick J. Zimmerman

Google Zimmerman
Read his faculty bio
Search for the study in EBSCO

Breadcrumbing

To find other sources on this topic, follow links and check out the references at the end.

EBSCO is a good place to start. Also check out Google Scholar and Find Articles.

If that doesn't work, don't give up. Ask a librarian if the article is available through interlibrary loan.

Internet Resources

Moving from personal to academic writing (.doc)
Wendy McElroy "How to Form an Informed Opinion"
How to Distinguish Between Popular and Scholarly Periodicals (UCSC)
Is it a Magazine or Journal? (Staley Library)
What Is an Academic Paper? (Dartmouth)
Avoiding I (Monash)
Maintaining Objectivity (Darling)
Guide to Writing and Research (UMUC)

Copyright in these materials belongs to C. Munzenmaier © 2007.
Teachers are free to reproduce or modify them for nonprofit educational use.

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