How can you determine a source's biases? Why is it important to consider a source's biases?

Question

Most sources contain biases, which are specific slants or points of view. How can you determine a source's biases? Why is it important to consider a source's biases?

Answer 1

Well it's important that you consider the bias of a source because it is likely to affect their presentation of the information. For example if you were researching the siege of Stalingrad and you were reading contemporary material you would get a completely different perspective from reading a russian soldiers observations to a german soldiers. Even a German officer high in the chain of command may have a different standpoint to a soldier fighting in the thick of it all.

I suppose to determine what those sources might be you would have to considered the nature of the source. For example a piece of propaganda would give out only the information that the publisher wanted to give out, this may not even be accurate. Observation for an independant eye witness may be more reliable and more objective. Scientific reseach may have been undertaken specifically to prove or disprove a particular theory. If it subsequentally proves it one would have to consider the reliability of the science and not assume its accuracy.

well that's what I think anyway, hope it helps