ART101 Wk9

Tips for Academic Work

  • Doing a little bit more than the minimum is a good principle.
  • Examples from news articles should supplement, not replace, academic sources.
  • Be cautious of journals published by MDPI, considered a predatory publisher.
    • They often target graduate students with limited peer review.
    • They may appear legitimate but are essentially "fake journals."
    • Using them in Task 2a was not penalized due to lack of warning, but be wary now.

Information Context

The topic for the week is information context. This involves recapping previous discussions about misinformation and disinformation, but within a broader context.

  • Information Experience:
    • Encountering information.
    • Digesting information: figuring out what's useful and how to use it.
    • Deflecting: getting rid of information that is not helpful.
  • This process happens daily and also during scholarly research.
  • The way you digest and deflect information is context-dependent.

Examples

  • Japanese Class: Encounter new phrases, determine important parts, and discard irrelevant particles.
  • Duolingo: Deflect sentences like "The cow doesn't want to go to the shops today".

Information Overload

Information overload is a common issue, especially in the digital age. Managing information effectively involves:

  • Having good practices and processes.
  • Making good use of information.
  • Disposing of what's not useful.

Kate's video uses a metaphor of being in the "driver's seat" versus being a passive passenger. Are you making critical choices about sifting through information, or just absorbing what's pushed to you?

Information Manipulation Theory

This theory, originally for interpersonal communication, now applies to digital media.

  • Falsification: Presenting information that is untrue.
  • Manipulation (Distortion): Exaggerating, minimizing, or equivocating information.
  • Omission: Withholding relevant information or context.

The Importance of Context (Trevor Noah)

Trevor Noah emphasizes the importance of context in understanding information. Without context, offense or hurt feelings can arise.

  • Context is crucial in comedy; jokes taken out of context