ARTICLE ANALYSIS

IRLS 617 - Social Epistemology and Information Science
Spring 2004
Don Fallis

This assignment requires you to summarize and critique an article on social epistemology (that is not on the syllabus and that no one else has selected). The idea is that, through these article analyses, we will all get an even broader exposure to the field than the assigned readings provide.

The Article

You need to pick an article on social epistemology. The article may explicitly address information science, but it need not.

Library Literature, Library and Information Science Abstracts, and the Philosopher's Index are good places to start looking for articles. Also, there is a whole issue of the interdisciplinary journal Social Epistemology on "Social Epistemology and Information Science". Finally, some of the articles that are cited in the lectures would be appropriate, but your article cannot be one of the readings on the syllabus.

You must get my approval on your article. Send me the bibliographic information and a very brief summary (a couple of sentences) via my WebCT Mail.

Note: Remember that not everything in the area of social epistemology explicitly identifies itself as social epistemology. In other words, authors (e.g., sociologists of knowledge) may not always refer to themselves as social epistemologists. An article is acceptable for this assignment as long as it looks at how knowledge is acquired and used in a social context.

The Analysis

There are at least three (and possibly four) sections to this assignment. Label each of the sections. Your article analysis should be in your own words; quote very sparingly. Be concise.

1. MAIN POINT: Identify the main point (as in "What's your point?"), thesis, or conclusion of the article. In order to identify the main point, it may help to ask yourself such questions as: What non-trivial position does the author try to defend? What claim is the author trying to get me to accept?

2. SUPPORT: Identify the reasons, evidence, or premises that the author gives in support of this point. In order to identify the reasons, it may help to ask yourself such questions as: How does the author defend his or her point? What examples or evidence does the author give in support of his or her point?

Warning: Philosopher's often bring up objections to their own position, which they go on to refute. Do not confuse these objections with the author's own position. These objections are typically signaled by such phrases as "Some might argue that..." "It has been objected that..."

3. EVALUATION: Give your evaluation of the author's point and the supporting reasons. In order to do this, it may help to ask yourself such questions as: Do I agree with the author's point? Why or why not? Are the reasons that the author gives adequate to prove his or her point? Why or why not? Are there any examples or evidence that either supports or refutes the author's point or reasons? What questions would I like to ask the author?

4. RELEVANCE: If the article does not explicitly address information science, discuss how the ideas in the article might be relevant to information science. In order to do this, it may help to ask yourself such questions as: How might a library put these ideas into practice?

Turning in the Assignment

Post your article analysis on a web page.

Post the URL of this web page to the "Article Analysis Questions" forum.

This assignment is due by 11:59pm MST on March 4, but you are encouraged to post your web page earlier if possible.

Please send me questions about this assignment via the "Article Analysis Questions" forum or via my WebCT Mail.

Note: You can post your article analysis on web space provided by your own ISP. Alternatively, you can get free web space when you apply for your UA email account.

Hint: If you have not posted a web page before, you should probably try posting a very simple web page as practice well before this assignment is due.