Aya is working on a research assignment on the pyramids of Egypt for history class. She has to write a paper and submit it in two days. Aya researches online for information. She finds many sources with lots of information. There’s information in online articles, research papers, and even social media posts. She finds a lot of information on Wikipedia about the pyramids. The article is organized well and has many images, so Aya decides to refer to Wikipedia as the main source of information. Aya finds some websites that claim to have secret material on the pyramids. She finds one source that claims to be a news website. On it, she finds an article titled, “Revealed: Top Secret Information about the Real Builders of the Pyramids.” She reads the article and thinks the information is interesting. It presents details she hasn't read on other science or history websites. Aya also finds a few social media posts with links to interesting articles on the pyramids. She’s not sure about the authors of these articles. But the articles all claim to have knowledge that the Ancient Egyptians did not build the pyramids. They claim to know of a conspiracy around the pyramids’ real builders. Aya writes her paper using sources that contain new and interesting theories about the pyramids. She submits it for grading. Later, she receives her grade. She gets a failing grade. Aya is worried and unsure why she failed the assignment In the scenario, what do you think about the sources of information that Aya used? Why do you think she got a failing grade?

Respuesta :

The sources of information that Aya used for her research on the pyramids raise some concerns. While Wikipedia can be a useful starting point for research, it is generally not considered an authoritative source because its content can be edited by anyone. The secret material website, the news website claiming to reveal top-secret information, and the social media posts with unverified claims about the pyramids' builders are not reliable academic sources. They lack credibility and may contain misinformation or conspiracy theories.

Aya may have received a failing grade for several reasons:
1. Lack of Credible Sources: Aya's paper likely lacked credible, peer-reviewed sources to support her arguments. Academic research papers require reliable and verifiable sources to back up claims and theories.

2. Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories: By including information from sources that promote conspiracy theories and unverified claims, Aya's paper may have presented inaccurate or misleading information about the pyramids.

3. Academic Integrity: Using unreliable sources without critically evaluating their credibility and accuracy can be seen as a violation of academic integrity. Professors expect students to use reputable sources and critically analyze the information they present.

To improve her research and writing skills, Aya should focus on using credible academic sources such as scholarly articles, books, and reputable websites. She should also critically evaluate the reliability of the information she finds and avoid relying on sensational or unverified claims.