Which of the following would you expect to provide the most valid information...? (1 Viewer)

[Carl5]

Here's a question from my dot point that I'm really unsure of.

3.10.2 Which of the following would you expect to provide the most valid information about the usefulness of ethanol as a fuel?

(A) A company which manufactures ethanol for use as a fuel.
(B) A company which produces petrol for automobiles.
(C) A scientific research organisation funded by the government or private companies
(D) A scientific research organisation which is self-funded by sales of publications.

Extension: Justify your choice.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Aquawhite]

The answer is C.

A is incorrect because if the company uses ethanol to make fuel, they could easily lie and just use fancy language to make it sound better than it is. The same applies to B. D cannot be the answer because if the company is funded by the sale of publications, then those publications would only be sold based on interest in society etc - it just doesn't seem viable.

Option C is correct because if it's funded by the government, then it is legally obliged to provide accurate information without falsification of data.

 

[iSplicer]

C would provide the most valid info.

A might skew data to favour ethanol to boost their sales
B might skew data to demean ethanol to boost theor petrol sales
D is a tricky one, but since it's self funded, its not as 'transparent', and its inner workings may in fact be controlled by the big ethanol corps.

 

[Carl5]

Ah! Thanks guys

 

[ohexploitable]

(A) is invalid as it would be biased FOR the use of ethanol since the company manufactures it. (B) is invalid since it would be biased AGAINST the use of ethanol because it is a competing product. (C) is invalid since the organisation is biased towards the desires of the government or private company. (D) is the most valid since the organisation is unaffected by funding source pressuring them to take a particular side.

 

[ohexploitable]

But in (C), what if the private company is a petrol company?

 

[Aquawhite]

I'm quite sure the answer is C, so OP, what is the answer?

 

[Carl5]

I too agreed with C, but ohexploitable has made me think twice...

FUUUUUUU-

 

[Absolutezero]

I was going to post something similar to ohexploitable. You are unaware of the interests of the private company. If the paper is self-funded, it remains independent of external influences. Additionally, as a research organisation, one would assume that in order to survive in the long term, they need to be producing factual, reliable research.

C is definitely a plausible answer, but so much necessary information is omitted that D seems more appropriate.

 

[ibbi00]

You can argue either way. This isn't a textbook question. (D) can also be biased since it relies on funds generated from selling its publications so one would expect the company to write whatever sells rather than whatever is true. It's like magazines, they don't care what they write so long as it sells. So ulterior motives definitely exist for such a company.

 

[Eddy Q]

D was the answer in dot points:

Other organisations which receive funding from petrol or ethanol manufacturers could be presenting a biased view to serve their own interests.

 

[Aquawhite]

Alright then. The answer would definitely be C if the answer provided were only government funding... but I can see how D is plausible too. Odd question.

 

[Eddy Q]

Alright then. The answer would definitely be C if the answer provided were only government funding... but I can see how D is plausible too. Odd question.

Yes, if the private company was excluded from the answer then it would be the most correct.

It was a question relating to this dot point:

process information from secondary
sources to summarise the use of
ethanol as an alternative car fuel,
evaluating the success of current
usage