Debate with your learning team whether Wikipedia is a credible and valid source of information.

Resource: Learning team debate and Ch. 9 Writing from Sources

Option I

Develop your own argument based on the debate outcomes.

Use the four steps for fairly presenting arguments indentified in Ch. 9 of Writing from Sources to guide your writing.

What are the four steps for fairly presenting arguments identified in Ch.9:

1. Present both sides of the argument.
One way of shading an argument to suit your own ends is to misrepresent the strength of the opposition. Let us assume that you are working
PRESENTING ARGUMENTS FAIRLY 4 1 3 negative view image of attack image of disease
0-312-62992-3 (c) Bedford/St. Martin's / bedfordstmartins.com with a number of articles, all of which are effectively presented and worth citing. Some clearly support your point of view; others are openly opposed; and a few avoid taking sides, emphasizing related but less controversial topics. If your essay cites only the favorable and neutral articles, and avoids any reference to the views of the opposition, you have presented the issue falsely. A one-sided presentation will make you appear to be either biased or sloppy in your research. If the sources are available and if their views are pertinent, they should be represented and, if you wish, refuted in your essay.
2. Provide a complete account of the argument.
Sometimes, distortions occur accidentally, because you have presented only a partial account of a source’s views. In the course of an article or a book, authors sometimes examine a variety of views before making it clear which ones they support. Or an author may have mixed opinions about the issue and see merit in more than one point of view. If you choose to quote or paraphrase material from only one section of such a work, then you must also inform your reader that these statements are not entirely representative of the writer’s overall views.
3. Make sure that you—and your reader—understand whether the source really supports the idea that you are citing.
Ideas can get distorted because of the researcher’s misunderstanding, careless note taking, or hasty reading. Review the entire section of the article or your notes before you attribute an opinion to your source.
Make sure that you are not taking a sentence out of context or ignoring a statement in the next paragraph or on the next page that may be more typical of the writer’s thinking. Writers often use an argumentative strategy that sets up a point with which they basically disagree in order to shoot it down shortly thereafter. Don’t confuse a statement made for the sake of argument with a writer’s real beliefs.
4. Provide a fair presentation.
You may be so eager to uphold your point of view that you will cite any bit of material that looks like supporting evidence. To do so, however, you may have to twist the words of the source to fit your ideas. This is one of the worst kinds of intellectual dishonesty—and one of the easiest for a suspicious reader to detect: one has only to look up the source. If your sources’ evidence does not sufficiently support your side, then you
Write a paper of no more than 1,050 words supporting your argument by identifying criteria used to evaluate the credibility of sources of information.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Debate with your learning team whether Wikipedia is a credible and valid source of information.

Yes, I have used Wikipidia to get information that I needed
Yes, they have done reports that have shown the data from Wikipidia being accurate
Yes, there is a set of rules by which to follow and most people take this serious.

Outine; A. Define what Wikipidia is; i) The beginnings ii) Author iii) The need to start it
Need to quote sources and have relevant source
B.Find data and statistics from credible sources citing; B. Accuracy of Wikipidia C. Accuracy compared to other credible sites, prove credibility of sites you are talking about

Essay Introduction;
In this ever changing world where new cultures, discoveries and knowledge is emerging at a rate never seen in decades, the need for a dynamic source of information is necessary. Wikipidia is that source. Why? Wikipidia is providing real information from real people as they live it. As I try to piece together the significance of traditional sources of information such as dictionaries and printed materials, I see a communication mode slowly fading away into extinction like the dinosaurs in the ice age. When comparing traditional sources of information like books and materials to Wikipidia traditional sources are like movies with a well written script, rehearsed over and over again to get the exact feeling that the author intends for the reader whereas Wikipidia bears the freshness, simplicity and fake free nature of genuine TV reality shows. They sometimes bring diverse versions of information such as raw and unpolished all the way to simple and straight forward information that is understandable to the unique masses of people.

Servant Leadership describes a leadership whereby a Leader's desire is to serve first, then lead those he is serving. This kind of Leadership approach defines a Leader who places other peoples agenda and needs before their own. I haven't experienced too much of this kind of Leadership in the corporate world although I know and have heard about it in the service industry. I have also seen servant Leadership at Church, clergy members and Church leadership are charged with ensuring that their flocks needs are catered to, this is their top most priority. Servant Leadership has existed for thousands of years, my most favorite example outside of the corporate confines is a Biblical narrative of how Jesus served his disciples in the new testament book of John. This narrative describes Jesus washing and drying his disciples feet and challenging them to do the same to serve each other. After washing their feet, he concluded this action by telling them something to the effect of..."no servant is greater than his master and likewise no messenger is greater than the one who sent him". The above narrative is the reason why I am a firm believer of servant leadership.