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Author's Viewpoint

  • Page ID
    186447
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    Author’s Viewpoint

     



    MLK_5b1561d669ff2.jpg

    In addition to evaluating a source and taking notes on it, another thing you’ll want to consider is who the author of that article is and how his or her viewpoints might bias his arguments. 

     For example, you might find a really interesting article on Martin Luther King that seems well-thought out and rational.   The author is making an argument that Martin Luther King’s ideas are dangerous.  That’s probably a fair argument.  However, upon further reading, you discover that the author was also a high-ranking member of the Ku Klux Klan.  That kind of background could discredit a source since he’s unable to look at MLK in an unbiased way.  Considering the author’s viewpoint and how it impacts their argument is an incredibly important skill for a researcher.

     In this assignment, you’ll read a letter that was written to Martin Luther King in 1965.  Read the letter (linked below) and then take the quiz on the next page. (Be sure you click through both pages of the letter!).  

    As you read this letter,consider how an author’s viewpoint or perspective impacts their writing and their core message.

    Be ready to take a quiz on the reading.



    Author's Viewpoint is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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