RSCH 301 Research Verification

The purpose of this course is to train the student researcher to fact-check and verify claims. In every arena of academia and culture, claims are made. These claims are justified on the basis of historical, statistical, and social science research; however, research is often used as a tool to accomplish rhetorical purposes, rather than as a path for truth. As a researcher, the student should be able to verify the truthfulness of these claims. This course will train the student in this process as it equips him/her to think critically about the information around the student.  

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

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Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (5)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Discussions range from topics like why research verification matters to developing one’s own philosophy of research verification. Special attention is given to cultivating skills on how to engage in research and think critically about the assumptions of researchers and the claims they draw from data. The student will post an initial thread of 300-500 words (with the exception of Discussion: Using Bad Data to Deceive, which will have a minimum of 400 words). In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to the thread of at least 1 classmate. Each reply must be at least 100 words.

Point of View Assignment

In some fields, this might be called a historiography assignment. However, in this course, the student will refer to this as a Point of View assignment. In some cases, researchers are not distinctively dishonest about the way they report information or data. In these cases, there are simply perspectives and ways of interpreting that lead to different conclusions. Here, the student will have to classify thinkers (on a particular topic) into quadrants so that he/she can see how point of view impacts research conclusions. The length of the assignment should be more than 1000 words, but much of it can be quotations that the student brings together to demonstrate how this issue has been discussed throughout history.

Social Media Fact-Checking Policy Assignment

Fact-checking in the digital age is taking on new forms. Some private companies are taking stances on the information shared through their platforms and taking it upon themselves to regulate what can be shared and discussed. Governments are engaging in debates about their roles to maintain some standard for truth while attempting to maintain freedoms in public discourse. Here, the student will develop a 3- to 5-page fact-checking policy for an imaginary social media platform. The student’s policy should list the philosophical underpinnings for his/her position, a methodology for executing fact-checking, with rationales and examples for how it will look.

Statistical Verification Assessment Assignment

Before the student can assess, he/she must first explain what has been said. Thus, for this assignment, the student will explain, assess, and interpret the claims made in various quantitative publications and research studies. This assignment will be divided into two parts: Part 1, which analyzes the quantitative study and verifies claims (at least 1,500 words), and Part 2, which reflects on quantitative research and the differences from analyzing qualitative data (50–100 words).

Political Rhetoric Appraisal Assignment

The student will select a political speech given in the United States since 2000 to appraise. Items to be addressed in this assignment include: context & background, statistical and factual claims, along with verification. The student is expected to select a speech that contains 4 statements that can be proven correct, 4 statements that can be proven erroneous, and 4 statements that can be proven incorrect, through applied logic and reasonable analysis.