FSU Databases and Logical Fallacies

We are an online class, which means that we do not stop learning. Ever. But considering that the University is closed on Monday 1/21 for Martin Luther King Day Jr., I am posting the information about using the FSU databases and identifying Logical Fallacies ONE DAY EARLY.

This Week’s Twitter Assignment is: Find a narrative which uses a logical fallacy in order to evoke humor. Post a YouTube clip of it and a thread explaining the logical fallacy and why it is a logical fallacy. If your classmate posts one which you particularly enjoy or had never considered, discuss the fallacy with them

For Project #1, you are required to use research from 10 PEER-REVIEWED SOURCES. Peer-Reviewed Sources cannot be googled. You must learn how to operate the FSU databases to make sure the information you are using is the most accurate. Most ENC2135 classes on FSU campus will hold one class session at Strozier library and a skilled resource manager would walk the class through setting up a Ref Works account, using Boolean Search terms and showing you where to locate Peer-Reviewed Sources. We are an online class which means we cannot all go to the library together. But fear not. The resource managers at FSU library have prepared an online module which will provide the same information. You are required to complete the Library Module for using FSU's Research Databases before 11:59 pm TUESDAY JANUARY 22. This will make it easier for you to locate the PEER-REVIEWED SOURCES necessary to complete Project #1. You will see a tab on the left-hand side of our Canvas page called "Library Instruction". This was provided for you by our fine librarians at the FSU library. How do you access it? Go to Canvas and click on Pages in the left-hand side.

Next click on Information Literacy Overview: Library Instruction

Here you should see the library module, which has multiple tabs which will walk you through all the resources available at FSU libraries.

You are required to review and watch each of the videos under each tab and take the quizzes at the bottom of the page. Particularly the Research tab which will walk you through using the FSU databases. The databases are how you will locate peer-reviewed sources.

Follow the Guide, watch the videos and answer the questions before 11:59 pm TUESDAY JANUARY 22. You will be graded upon completion of this assignment.

Navigating the FSU databases is necessary for you to complete the annotated bibliography.

What is an ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY? You must find 10 academic, scholarly, and/or peer-reviewed sources which you will use in your research paper. You must write the citation for the source in CORRECT MLA STYLE. I count off for improper MLA style. Go to the Purdue Owl website for examples and guidelines. Citation generators are often wrong. Easy Bib is a big NO NO. DO NOT USE EASY BIB!!!!! Underneath the citation, write the annotation, which is a brief summary of the source and its main ideas which should also include: • How the source relates to the research topic. • How the source relates/does not relate to the other sources. • Tell what new/different information this source provides; explain the weaknesses/strengths of the source; tell what about the source the student finds especially interesting

EACH citation and annotation should be 150 words, which means this assignment will be at least 1,500 words total.

If you need an example of the Annotated Bibliography, go to pages 70 and 310 of the Bedford Book of Genres. The grading parameters for this assignment is: Do you have a quality source? Have you provided a quality annotation? Have you formatted the citation in proper MLA style, including italics, punctuation, quotation marks, etc?

The Annotated Bibliography is due before 11:59 pm on FRIDAY 1/25. Because of the size of this document, you should save it as a Pdf and upload it to your P1 page. (Don’t upload as a Word Document).

When performing research, you want to make sure the source is a good one. Sometimes articles will look like they are full of good information, but when you look at them critically, their arguments may be riddled with logical fallacies.

What are the logical fallacies? Ever listen to one of your friends try to make a point, but they can't quite get there. Maybe they are so fired up that they just yell, "Well you would think that because you're stupid." In that moment, they are using a logical fallacy. They ran out of steam and lobbed an ad hominem at you. (An ad hominem can be seen in Facebook and Twitter Flame Wars). Fallacies are common errors which undercut the logic of your argument. We are reviewing these because you need to avoid them when you are doing your research and when you are writing your paper.

Here are the logical fallacies: Non sequitur: A conclusion does not logically follow the evidence presented. A + B ≠ C. Such as: "Students who default on their student loans have no sense of responsibility." Obviously this doesn't make sense because people make mistakes. That has nothing to do with sense of responsibility. False cause or post hoc: An argument that falsely assumes that because one thing happens after another, the first event was a cause of the second event. "I drank bottled water and now I am sick, so the water must have made me sick." Obviously it was not the water's fault. It could have been, but the cause and effect is not enough to make that claim with certainty. Self-Contradiction: An argument which contradicts itself."No absolute statement can be true." The fact that this is an absolute statement contradicts itself. False Analogy: A comparison in which a surface similarity masks a significant difference. "Governments and businesses both work with a budget to accomplish their goals. Just as a business must focus on the bottom line, so should government." Government is not a business. They are two very different things. Red Herring: An argument which diverts attention from the true issue by concentrating on an irrelevant one. "The level of mercury in seafood may be unsafe, but what will fishers do to support their families?" What do the fishers families have to do with mercury? Begging the Question: A form of circular reasoning that assumes the truth of a questionable opinion. "Filthy and polluting coal should be banned." This statement begs the question, How Filthy is Coal? Hasty generalization: A conclusion based on inadequate evidence. "Even though it's only the first day, I can tell this is going to be a boring course." It's the first day, man. Sweeping generalization: An overly broad statement made in absolute terms. When made about a group of people, it is known as a STEREOTYPE. "All Millennials grew up with smartphones making them all narcissists." Not all anyone are anything. Bandwagon: An argument that depends on going along with the crowd, on the false assumption that truth can be determined by a popularity contest. "Given the sales of that book, the author's theory must be accurate." Popularity does not equal accuracy. Ad hominem: A personal attack on someone who disagrees with you rather than on the person's argument. "Green Peace's strategies aren't effective because they are all dirty, lazy hippies." This example is also a sweeping generalization. Guilt by Association: Discrediting a person because of problems with that person's associates, friends or family. "Smith's friend has been convicted of fraud, so Smith cannot be trusted." Smith hasn't done anything. False Authority: Presenting the testimony of an unqualified person to support a claim. "Ariana Grande is a vegan, therefore it must be a healthy lifestyle." Ariana Grande is not a nutritionist. Circular Reasoning: An argument that restates the point rather than supporting it with reasonable evidence. "Obama is a good communicator because he speaks effectively." Because he is a good communicator. It all keeps circling back to the same point. Either/or Fallacy: The idea that a complicated issue can be resolved by resorting to one of only two options when in reality there are additional choices. "We can either ban soda or everyone will get diabetes." Everyone? Seriously?

Not only do you need to avoid using research with logical fallacies, you also need to avoid using logical fallacies to make an argument. Begging the Question, False Authority, Circular Reasoning, Hasty Generalizations, and Either/or Fallacies are the fallacies which most students often fall victim.

Don’t Forget:

• The Annotated Bibliography is due before 11:59 pm on FRIDAY 1/25. You should save it as a Pdf and upload to your P1 Page. (Don’t upload as a Word Document)

• This week’s Twitter Assignment: Find a narrative which uses a logical fallacy in order to evoke humor. Post a YouTube clip of it and a thread explaining the logical fallacy and why it is a logical fallacy.

• Read Bedford Book of Genres 310-312; 374-390 before Wednesday

#AnnotatedBibliography #logicalfallacies #LibraryModule #FSUDatabases