Encouraging Critical Thinking Online

Unit 1

Checking Facts and

Gathering Opinions

When and what were the lsquoBurning Timesrsquo How many

people died as a resultbull Find a selection of websites that

address this question

bull Record your search strategy and what you find on the worksheet

bull Comment on any notable features of the sites or answers you discover

When and what were the lsquoBurning Timesrsquo

bull The phrase refers to the persecution of people accused of witchcraft in the early modern period (ca 1450-1700)ndash A Google search for defineldquoBurning

Timesrdquo produces a range of definitions including this glossary

When and what were the lsquoBurning Timesrsquo How many

people died as a resultbull Find a selection of websites that

address this question

bull Record your search strategy and what you find on the worksheet

bull Comment on any notable features of the sites or answers you discover

When and what were the lsquoBurning Timesrsquo

bull The phrase refers to the persecution of people accused of witchcraft in the early modern period (ca 1450-1700)ndash A Google search for defineldquoBurning

Timesrdquo produces a range of definitions including this glossary

When and what were the lsquoBurning Timesrsquo

bull The phrase refers to the persecution of people accused of witchcraft in the early modern period (ca 1450-1700)ndash A Google search for defineldquoBurning

Timesrdquo produces a range of definitions including this glossary

When and what were the lsquoBurning Timesrsquo

bull Howeverndash In England and America most people

convicted of witchcraft were hangedndash In Scotland and on the continent

burning was more common but victims were rarely burnt alive ndash they were usually executed by other means first

When and what were the lsquoBurning Timesrsquo

bull Many academics prefer to avoid the termndash Instead more neutral terms such as

lsquoearly modern persecution of witchesrsquo or lsquowitch huntsrsquo are preferred

ndash But the term is still in frequent use in the neo-Pagan community

How many people died as a result

bull Some popular estimates are as high as nine million

bull Most scholarly investigations put the figure at a few tens of thousandsndash Many websites reflect the scholarly

research but there are also sites which still give inflated figures

Example websites giving high estimates

bull The website Witch Prickers suggests ldquoa maximum estimate of 13 million dead and a minimum estimate of 4 millionrdquo

bull Wiccan Terms and Definitions and the Wiccan Dictionary both suggest nine million

When and what were the lsquoBurning Timesrsquo

bull Many academics prefer to avoid the termndash Instead more neutral terms such as

lsquoearly modern persecution of witchesrsquo or lsquowitch huntsrsquo are preferred

ndash But the term is still in frequent use in the neo-Pagan community

How many people died as a result

bull Some popular estimates are as high as nine million

bull Most scholarly investigations put the figure at a few tens of thousandsndash Many websites reflect the scholarly

research but there are also sites which still give inflated figures

Example websites giving high estimates

bull The website Witch Prickers suggests ldquoa maximum estimate of 13 million dead and a minimum estimate of 4 millionrdquo

bull Wiccan Terms and Definitions and the Wiccan Dictionary both suggest nine million

How many people died as a result

bull Some popular estimates are as high as nine million

bull Most scholarly investigations put the figure at a few tens of thousandsndash Many websites reflect the scholarly

research but there are also sites which still give inflated figures

Example websites giving high estimates

bull The website Witch Prickers suggests ldquoa maximum estimate of 13 million dead and a minimum estimate of 4 millionrdquo

bull Wiccan Terms and Definitions and the Wiccan Dictionary both suggest nine million

Example websites giving high estimates

bull The website Witch Prickers suggests ldquoa maximum estimate of 13 million dead and a minimum estimate of 4 millionrdquo

bull Wiccan Terms and Definitions and the Wiccan Dictionary both suggest nine million

Example websites giving lower estimates

bull Religious Toleranceorg suggests between 50000 and 100000

bull The article lsquoFalsehoods of the Burning Timesrsquo suggests 60000

bull Wicca For the Rest of Us suggests between 40000 and 100000

Compare and contrast

bull Look at the example sites and considerndash Other than in the figures they give

how do these sites differ

ndash Who wrote these sites What are their credentials

ndash Are sourcesreferences given

Compare and contrast

bull There is a significant difference in tonendash Articles quoting higher numbers often

use more emotive language

ndash Those giving lower numbers are frequently couched as attempts to set the record straight

Compare and contrast

bull There may also be a marked difference in the picture paintedndash Sites giving higher numbers are more

likely to identify the victims as Pagans or followers of lsquothe Old Religionrsquo

ndash The Catholic Church is more likely to be blamed

Compare and contrast

bull However sites giving lower estimates are not immune from errorndash For example Religious Toleranceorg

implies that alleged witches were routinely burned alive

Compare and contrast

bull There is a significant difference in tonendash Articles quoting higher numbers often

use more emotive language

ndash Those giving lower numbers are frequently couched as attempts to set the record straight

Compare and contrast

bull There may also be a marked difference in the picture paintedndash Sites giving higher numbers are more

likely to identify the victims as Pagans or followers of lsquothe Old Religionrsquo

ndash The Catholic Church is more likely to be blamed

Compare and contrast

bull However sites giving lower estimates are not immune from errorndash For example Religious Toleranceorg

implies that alleged witches were routinely burned alive

Compare and contrast

bull There may also be a marked difference in the picture paintedndash Sites giving higher numbers are more

likely to identify the victims as Pagans or followers of lsquothe Old Religionrsquo

ndash The Catholic Church is more likely to be blamed

Compare and contrast

bull However sites giving lower estimates are not immune from errorndash For example Religious Toleranceorg

implies that alleged witches were routinely burned alive

Compare and contrast

bull However sites giving lower estimates are not immune from errorndash For example Religious Toleranceorg

implies that alleged witches were routinely burned alive

Compare and contrast

bull Sites with lower estimates more frequently give information about the authorndash From Religious Toleranceorg

ndash From Wicca For the Rest of Us

bull But this isnrsquot universally the case

Compare and contrast

bull Sites on this topic are frequently written by people with a keen personal interest rather than an academic background in the area

bull The occasional source is listed but full references are rarely given

Alternative search strategies

bull Search using terms favoured by academics ndash Phrases like ldquowitch huntrdquo and ldquo

witch crazerdquo produce slightly different results

ndash Some more academic sites ndash eg The Witch Hunts by Prof Brian A Pavlac ndash but still a fairly high proportion of non-scholarly material

Alternative search strategies

bull Search using terms favoured by academics ndash Phrases like ldquowitch huntrdquo and ldquo

witch crazerdquo produce slightly different results

ndash Some more academic sites ndash eg The Witch Hunts by Prof Brian A Pavlac ndash but still a fairly high proportion of non-scholarly material

Alternative search strategies

bull Use more specific search termsndash Phrases like ldquowitch hunt scholarshiprdquo

or ldquowitch hunt scholarly researchrdquo produce some useful hits

ndash But not all the material is helpful some is irrelevant some only suited to in-depth research and some requires subscription

Alternative search strategies

bull Consult a gatewayndash An academic gateway site such as

Intute offers hand-selected resourcesndash Searches give fewer results but

theyrsquore more likely to be what yoursquore looking for

Alternative search strategies

bull Searching Intute for ldquoBurning Timesrdquo lsquowitch huntrsquo or lsquowitch crazersquo gives a small number of (mostly) relevant results

bull A description of each site aids the process of determining whatrsquos most useful

bull Also offered are additional features such as Limelight articles

Alternative search strategies

bull The hits include Jenny Gibbonsrsquos informative essay lsquoRecent Developments in the Study of the Great European Witch Huntrsquo

bull Gives the authorrsquos credentials and mentions her sources (though still lacks detailed references)

Summary - key things to note

bull Popular and scholarly answers may vary widely

bull Itrsquos useful to consult a variety of sources

bull Checking where the information given is drawn from is also wise

Why might we find conflicting answers to a question

bull There may be real uncertainty about the answer

bull Authorities may disagree

bull There may be multiple ways of interpreting a question

Why might we find conflicting answers to a question

bull Some sources may be more up to date than others

bull Answers may vary in precision

bull Some sources may simply be wrong

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Who is the authorndash An individual or an institutionndash What are the authorrsquos credentials

bull Is this a scholarly resource or a more informal one

bull How up to date is this source

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Are there reasons to doubt the reliability of this sourcendash Does it include information I know to

be falsendash Does it contradict itself or use poor

reasoningndash Is it biased towards a particular view

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Is the information provided confirmed by other sourcesndash Are references providedndash Do other websites agree (A major

advantage of the Web is that many sources can be compared quickly and easily)

Remember the three Ws

bull WHO wrote this site ndash Is the author a trustworthy source

bull WHEN was it written ndash Is it up to date

bull WHY was it writtenndash Does the author have an axe to grind

This slideshow is part of

Encouraging Critical Thinking Onlinea set of free teaching resources

designed to develop studentsrsquo analytic abilities

using the Web as source material

For the full set please visit Intute Training

httpwwwintuteacuktraining

Why might we find conflicting answers to a question

bull There may be real uncertainty about the answer

bull Authorities may disagree

bull There may be multiple ways of interpreting a question

Why might we find conflicting answers to a question

bull Some sources may be more up to date than others

bull Answers may vary in precision

bull Some sources may simply be wrong

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Who is the authorndash An individual or an institutionndash What are the authorrsquos credentials

bull Is this a scholarly resource or a more informal one

bull How up to date is this source

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Are there reasons to doubt the reliability of this sourcendash Does it include information I know to

be falsendash Does it contradict itself or use poor

reasoningndash Is it biased towards a particular view

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Is the information provided confirmed by other sourcesndash Are references providedndash Do other websites agree (A major

advantage of the Web is that many sources can be compared quickly and easily)

Remember the three Ws

bull WHO wrote this site ndash Is the author a trustworthy source

bull WHEN was it written ndash Is it up to date

bull WHY was it writtenndash Does the author have an axe to grind

This slideshow is part of

Encouraging Critical Thinking Onlinea set of free teaching resources

designed to develop studentsrsquo analytic abilities

using the Web as source material

For the full set please visit Intute Training

httpwwwintuteacuktraining

Why might we find conflicting answers to a question

bull Some sources may be more up to date than others

bull Answers may vary in precision

bull Some sources may simply be wrong

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Who is the authorndash An individual or an institutionndash What are the authorrsquos credentials

bull Is this a scholarly resource or a more informal one

bull How up to date is this source

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Are there reasons to doubt the reliability of this sourcendash Does it include information I know to

be falsendash Does it contradict itself or use poor

reasoningndash Is it biased towards a particular view

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Is the information provided confirmed by other sourcesndash Are references providedndash Do other websites agree (A major

advantage of the Web is that many sources can be compared quickly and easily)

Remember the three Ws

bull WHO wrote this site ndash Is the author a trustworthy source

bull WHEN was it written ndash Is it up to date

bull WHY was it writtenndash Does the author have an axe to grind

This slideshow is part of

Encouraging Critical Thinking Onlinea set of free teaching resources

designed to develop studentsrsquo analytic abilities

using the Web as source material

For the full set please visit Intute Training

httpwwwintuteacuktraining

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Who is the authorndash An individual or an institutionndash What are the authorrsquos credentials

bull Is this a scholarly resource or a more informal one

bull How up to date is this source

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Are there reasons to doubt the reliability of this sourcendash Does it include information I know to

be falsendash Does it contradict itself or use poor

reasoningndash Is it biased towards a particular view

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Is the information provided confirmed by other sourcesndash Are references providedndash Do other websites agree (A major

advantage of the Web is that many sources can be compared quickly and easily)

Remember the three Ws

bull WHO wrote this site ndash Is the author a trustworthy source

bull WHEN was it written ndash Is it up to date

bull WHY was it writtenndash Does the author have an axe to grind

This slideshow is part of

Encouraging Critical Thinking Onlinea set of free teaching resources

designed to develop studentsrsquo analytic abilities

using the Web as source material

For the full set please visit Intute Training

httpwwwintuteacuktraining

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Are there reasons to doubt the reliability of this sourcendash Does it include information I know to

be falsendash Does it contradict itself or use poor

reasoningndash Is it biased towards a particular view

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Is the information provided confirmed by other sourcesndash Are references providedndash Do other websites agree (A major

advantage of the Web is that many sources can be compared quickly and easily)

Remember the three Ws

bull WHO wrote this site ndash Is the author a trustworthy source

bull WHEN was it written ndash Is it up to date

bull WHY was it writtenndash Does the author have an axe to grind

This slideshow is part of

Encouraging Critical Thinking Onlinea set of free teaching resources

designed to develop studentsrsquo analytic abilities

using the Web as source material

For the full set please visit Intute Training

httpwwwintuteacuktraining

Questions to ask when assessing sources

bull Is the information provided confirmed by other sourcesndash Are references providedndash Do other websites agree (A major

advantage of the Web is that many sources can be compared quickly and easily)

Remember the three Ws

bull WHO wrote this site ndash Is the author a trustworthy source

bull WHEN was it written ndash Is it up to date

bull WHY was it writtenndash Does the author have an axe to grind

This slideshow is part of

Encouraging Critical Thinking Onlinea set of free teaching resources

designed to develop studentsrsquo analytic abilities

using the Web as source material

For the full set please visit Intute Training

httpwwwintuteacuktraining

Remember the three Ws

bull WHO wrote this site ndash Is the author a trustworthy source

bull WHEN was it written ndash Is it up to date

bull WHY was it writtenndash Does the author have an axe to grind

This slideshow is part of

Encouraging Critical Thinking Onlinea set of free teaching resources

designed to develop studentsrsquo analytic abilities

using the Web as source material

For the full set please visit Intute Training

httpwwwintuteacuktraining

This slideshow is part of

Encouraging Critical Thinking Onlinea set of free teaching resources

designed to develop studentsrsquo analytic abilities

using the Web as source material

For the full set please visit Intute Training

httpwwwintuteacuktraining