Homework Assignment #3:
Facts vs. Myths, Misinformation & Disinformation Objectives:
• Learn how to use biomedical literature search engine: pubmed.gov
• Learn how to read scientific literature (especially scientific abstracts)
• Learn how to identify scientific factual info vs. biased non-factual info (misinformation)• Learn how to analyze and critique existing information to determine its accuracy
• Learn how to cite the source of scientific literature
Instructions:
(a) Choose a topic of your choice within the scope of neuropsychopharmacology that includes information on either a mental drug or a mental disorder.
(b) Search the web, and locate 2 websites:
Website A that contains scientific, factual information (objective unbiased facts)
Website B that contains biased, misleading information (subjective misinformation and/or
disinformation)
(c) Go to pubmed.gov and search through the biomedical literature database to find out the scientific facts on
the drug/disorder that you chose.
(d) Alternatively, you can use ReadCube (http://readcube.com) app, which can validate our library
subscriptions to the research articles using either PubMed or Google Scholar search engines.
(e) Use APA citation format. Go to http://citationmachine.net to generate the APA referencing format or use
EndNote software.
Your HW should include:
Minimum of 2 websites: one factual website A, the other non-factual website B.
Identify what is factual, and what is non-factual (or distortion of facts, biases, misleading info).
Use scientific journal sources (from PubMed.gov) to support your assertion why one website is factual and
the other is non-factual.
Provide the citation reference source in APA format.
Critic and analyze why one website is factual and the other is non-factual.
(Use of websites that list “facts and myths” is unacceptable. It is your critical thinking identifying the facts
and non-facts based on PubMed.gov scientific journals that will be credited for the assignment. You have to explain why and why not website A is factual and website B is nonfactual or biased.)
Hints:
It requires 2 websites, which you have to list the links which websites A and B are.
You have to identify which website is factual and why, and which website is non-factual for bias.
You have to cite the scientific reference (from PubMed) explain why website A is factual and why website B
is non-factual using the objective criteria below
You have to use reference using APA citation format.
Grading criteria:
List the URL of the factual website A, and the non-factual website B of the same topic you chose
o (Websites that already identified the facts and myths are not allowed because they did the HW for you)
Evidence of identifying the factual info from PubMed references, and inaccurate info contradicted from the scientific findings based on PubMed references.
Cite the original journal articles within the text of the HW, and then provide the list of references at the end of the HW
Use APA format in the citations and in the reference lists. (Not pubmed links. Full author name, journal name, title, volume number, page number, etc, are required in the reference format)
Logical deduction of consistency in the referenced sources to be true, otherwise inconsistent evidence are untrue, so you have to use the majority rule, i.e., a minimum of 2 or 3 scientific references.
Evidence of demonstrating logical deduction of bias of the website B (i.e., one-sided, whereas unbiased means presenting all sides unfiltered as is).
In order to prove consistency, you have to use PubMed database search engine to locate the biomedical literature source of information. You have to use primary source, not secondary source (sources from website is not valid, only scientific journals are valid sources).
Copy-and-paste any text or quotes from the internet or from other’s HW is plagiarism.
Approximately 2-3 pages with critical thinking and analytical thinking (grade evaluation criteria)
Submit the HW to learn.unt.edu (It will scan for plagiarism with TurnItIn software check.)
