Unit 2: Evaluating Resources in Environmental Science

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts for evaluating resources and understanding the scientific method.

Credible source

A source regarded as trustworthy due to expert authorship, reputable publishers, citations, up-to-date information, and unbiased analysis.

Author

The writer or researcher; credibility increases if the author is an expert or associated with a respected publisher.

Publisher

The organization that releases a work; reputable publishers (e.g., NY Times, Wall Street Journal) add credibility.

Citations

References to sources used, found at the end of articles or in books/journals, allowing verification.

Up-to-date information

Information that reflects current research; newer studies may change understanding.

Unbiased analysis

Evaluation that considers multiple perspectives without showing favoritism.

Original source

The primary source from which information originates; locating it helps verify claims.

Bias

A tendency or prejudice that can influence interpretation or results.

Sensational headline

An attention-grabbing headline that may overstate findings and mislead about content.

Claim

A statement about a topic that may be unverified and requires evidence to be proven or disproven.

Evidence

Data, observations, or experiments used to support or refute a claim.

Fact

A statement that can be verified as true.

Repetition

Repeating your own experiment to verify results.

Replication

Other scientists performing the same experiment under the same conditions to test results.

Question/Observation

The initial topic or question to research or observe in the scientific process.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction about the outcome of an experiment.

Experimentation

The process of testing the hypothesis through procedures and experiments.

Data

Recorded measurements or observations collected during experiments.

Data analysis

The process of examining data to identify patterns and draw conclusions.

Conclusion

The final interpretation comparing results to the hypothesis.