How do I separate facts from opinion

Facts provided in support of a statement or argument should be evaluated for their reliability and usefulness. Evaluate these elements when determining the reliability and usefulness of facts:

Presence of biased language

Reliability of source

Up-to-date information

Use of several sources

Faulty thinking

It is particularly important to evaluate the source of the facts. Reliable sources are recognized experts about a topic, recently published articles, and state the eliminations and value of the information. This means they explain how their facts can be used properly as well as how they cannot be used. For example, a scientist who discovers a new drug would explain the positive effects of the drug as well as the negative effects of the drug. It is also important to evaluate the motive of the person. If the scientist owns the company that produced the drug, the scientist might be more inclined to focus on the positive effects of the drug. As a reader you should verify the scientists statements by reading other experts’ statements about the new drug.