'Do Your Own Research' — What That Should Mean and What It Often Doesn't — Quiz

1.

According to Wineburg and McGrew (2019), what distinguishes how professional fact-checkers evaluate online sources compared to undergraduate students?

2.

What does Mercier and Sperber's argumentative theory of reasoning suggest about 'doing your own research' in isolation?

3.

Gauchat's (2012) analysis of 36 years of US survey data found that declining trust in science was:

4.

Which of the following is a specific limitation that lay researchers face when investigating expert domains?

5.

What is the 'division of epistemic labour' and what is its relevance to trusting expert consensus?

6.

Explain how confirmation bias and online search interact to reinforce existing beliefs rather than correct them, and describe one practical countermeasure.

7.

Describe the conditions under which trusting expert consensus is the epistemically rational move, rather than a failure of independent thinking.

8.

What is 'lateral reading,' why do professional fact-checkers use it, and how does it differ from 'vertical reading'?