Values and assumptions
Identifying values and assumptions to critique research
Effective research tends to be built on the capacity to evaluate ideas and claims found in existing research. This skill is put to use in the review of literature in particular. When you read the work of others, can you identify:
- the claims or key arguments (the thesis)
- the worldview of the writer-researcher?
- the key values and assumptions implied in the research?
Here’s an activity that takes you through the process. First download the article, then follow the instructions in the video:
Confronting bias
Reading and thinking are intimately linked to writing. How you interpret texts is influenced by your existing attitudes and assumptions, even your expectations.
Listen to Associate Professor Pia Ednie-Brown talk about her process of confronting bias.
