ANALYZING THE

ARGUMENTS USED
BY THE WRITER/S
IN MANIFESTOES
WEEK 1 | EAPP | QUARTER 4
a written statement declaring publicly the
intentions, motives, or views of its issuer
 Information has never been as available
and as accessible as before. People can
now share information, and they can
access information anywhere and anytime.
It is no wonder that people today are said
to be living in an information age.
While you enjoy the benefits of having
accessible information at the click of your
fingertips, there is also a downside to this
accessibility.
Assess Yourself: Answer the table below.
Check whether you agree or not with the
following statements.
Statement Yes No
1. I’m careful in clicking links that my friends share on social media.
2. I get updated news about sports, politics, weather, entertainment, and global
affairs through what my friends share on social media.
3. I have a favorite website that I open regularly to read about current events.
4. I don’t depend on social media for news.
5. I believe everything I read or watch on the Internet.
6. I don’t check the name of the website when I read articles online as long as
the topic interests me.
 Because of social media, the reading habits
of many people have changed. If people used to
rely on newspapers or magazines for news on
current events, a lot of people nowadays depend
on social media for updated information.
When you say updated information, you
mean a minute by minute, instant, or real time
update However, because of social media, an
instant update every minute can happen. Not
being able to check one’s social media account
even for just one night can make one lose a lot of
information.
Sources of Data or Information
If a classmate who is always absent in class will send
you a private message at night and tell you that there are no
classes the next day due to inclement weather, would you
believe him or her? Most probably you would not, would
you? But if the message comes from the school principal,
would you believe that message then? Yes, you would most
probably believe the message. Why is this the case? What’s
the difference between the two messages? The difference lies
on the source of the information. The source of the first
one may not be reliable, especially if it comes from a
classmate that has a bad reputation of being always absent
in class. In the second example, the source is reliable
because it comes from a figure of authority.
 Remember to investigate
the source. There are
three main things that you
should keep in mind when
investigating sources of
information.
1. THE AUTHOR
Who is the author of that source of information?
Check the background of the author. Is the
author an expert on that subject matter? What is
the purpose of the author? Sometimes, a
persuasive text is suspicious if, at the end of the
article, the author will persuade you to buy a
certain product pertaining to the content of the
article. You should also recognize the fallibility
even of experts. Neither a graduate degree nor an
affiliation with a credible organization or university
is an assurance that the author is not capable of
making mistakes.
2. THE PIECES OF EVIDENCE TO
THE CLAIMS OF THE AUTHOR
What pieces of evidence does the author present for
his or her claims? The supporting pieces of evidence the
author presents should be of high-quality information
that are factual, reliable, updated, unbiased, and
comprehensive. It is perfectly acceptable to play the devil’s
advocate and probe for erroneous data. Widen your
horizons and examine opposing viewpoints. Evidence
should not be based on anecdotes, testimonials, and
personal opinions alone. Do not believe one source of
information only. Look for other sources and compare
what each has to say. Look for research or scientific
findings.
3. THE PUBLISHER OR SPONSOR/S
Also, when investigating a piece of
information, find out the publisher
and/or sponsor of a particular claim. Do
not be misled by impressive names of
organizations or advocacy campaigns.
 Again, evaluate the source when
reading information: investigate
the author’s background, examine
the evidence, and check the
background of the publisher or
sponsor.
 INTERNET SOURCES
The internet is a massive and comprehensive
source of information. In fact, you can also
download e-books and e-journals from different
online sources. These electronic reading materials
make the generation of today feel less inclined to
buy hard copies of books and/or journals. When
looking at internet sources, the first thing to look at
is the domain name. The domain name can give
you a clue regarding the site’s motivation and
objectives.
The different domain names:
1. .com –It means that the domain name is owned by a
company. This is the most common of all because the
website is owned by a company, keep in mind that there
is a business aspect to the website.
2. .edu – It should be more reliable because it means that
the website is under an educational institution.
However, this may not always be the case. Some
research studies published on educational websites can
also be funded by outside sponsors that have vested
interests.
3. .gov – Government owned websites
4. .net – It is those owned by a network
5. .org – It is those owned by organizations
1. What is an argument?
• In academic writing, an argument is usually a
main idea, often called a “claim” or “thesis
statement,” backed up with evidence that
supports the idea.
2. What should you keep in mind when
investigating sources of information?
• When investigating sources of information, the
author, the pieces of evidence to the claims of the
author and the publisher or sponsor/s are things
to consider.
3. What determines the reliability of
sources of data?
• A reliable source is provided with
thorough, well-reasoned theory,
argument, discussion and based on
strong evidence.
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