Information Literacy In Real Life (IL IRL)

Types of Bias

You have probably been told in the past when looking for sources, that you want to make sure you are avoiding biased sources. Did you know there are different kinds of bias? Here are some of the most common biases you might encounter when doing research:

Confirmation Bias: is only seeking out information that agrees with your existing ideas and beliefs. It can also involve accepting information as true because it agrees with what you already think. This is a personal bias that effects the way you choose sources.

Selection Bias: is when researchers set up an experiment and choose samples or groups that aren't representative of the population as a whole. This makes it hard to judge if a normal group would have the same results. For example, a study might survey only college students at one college and then claim those student's responses represent all college students in the U.S. Check out this video from Productivity Guy to learn more about selection bias.

Publication Bias: is when certain types of studies are published over others. A real-life example of publication bias is a study was published about an antidepressant that was not approved for use in the U.S., but has been approved in other countries. In 2010, German scientists learned when doing research using information from the antidepressant's clinical trials, that the manufacturers of the drug neglected to publish clinical trial data that showed negative effects of the drug. The manufacturers only published positive information about the drug in their clinical trials.

Funding Bias: is when the results of a scientific study supports the study's financial sponsors in a positive way. In this case, it is possible that the research is skewed so that the funding organization can have a study that supports whatever outcome they want. A real-life example of funding bias is a study was published in a scientific journal that found drinks including high-fructose corn syrup did not increase liver fat or ectopic fat deposition in muscles. However, a quick look at the "Acknowledgements" section shows that one of the researchers on the study received funding from PepsiCo International. Because the study received funding from PepsiCo International, it is possible that the results of the study may be skewed to paint PepsiCo International in a positive light.