Cherry picking and dodgy reasoning for beginners

By Gordon Rugg

Why do professional researchers take such a dim view of cherry picking and dodgy reasoning (and what is cherry picking anyway?)

Time for some cartoons…

Confirmation bias and cherry picking

There are more below.

Argument by caring a lot

Using an incomplete toolkit (1)

Using an incomplete toolkit (2)

Naïve postmodernism

Argument by authority

Argument by sexism

 

Argument by Internet

Argument by faith and feelings

Notes, links and sources

The mention of nightlock berries is indeed an allusion to Hunger Games, if you’re wondering.

The “has a beard” line is a tribute to this brilliant clip: A Mom Talks with the Director of Special Education.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6fcIqUHz8Q&feature=sharecontrol

The phrase “naïve postmodernism” is to make the implicit point that postmodernism can give useful insights, if used appropriately.

You’re welcome to use the Hyde & Rugg cartoons above for any non-commercial purpose, including lectures, provided that you retain the “copyleft Hyde & Rugg” attribution within the cartoon. I’ve deliberately not included titles within the cartoons, so that anyone re-using the cartoons can use their own titles for them.

There’s more about reasoning and research methods in The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research, by myself and Marian Petre.

The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research, 2nd edition (Marian Petre & Gordon Rugg)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unwritten-Rules-Research-Study-Skills/dp/0335237029/ref=dp_ob_image_bk

There’s more about the theory behind this article in my latest book:

Blind Spot, by Gordon Rugg with Joseph D’Agnese

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blind-Spot-Gordon-Rugg/dp/0062097903