This is the second writing question on the TOEFL iBT Test. Get more samples here.
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Your professor is teaching a class on research techniques. Write a post responding to the professor’s question. In your response, you should
- express and support your personal opinion
- make a contribution to the discussion in your own words
An effective response will contain at least 100 words.
Professor: Next week, we’re going to discuss the best way to determine if a website or article is reliable. There are many factors to consider in order to ensure that your essays are supported by reliable sources. Before we meet, I want you to consider the following question: what do you think is the most effective way to assess whether a website or article can be trusted?
Laura: I think the best way is to look for strong evidence and sources. A reliable article should cite credible studies, data, or expert opinions. If the author’s claims are backed by verifiable information and come from a trustworthy institution like a university or academic publisher, it’s a good sign the website or article can be trusted.
Caleb: I believe the author’s credibility is most important. If the writer has expertise or professional experience related to the topic, it’s more likely the content is accurate. For instance, I trust articles written by scientists about health topics more than random blogs. Checking the author’s background is a crucial first step.
Sample Answer
In my opinion, the best way to determine if an article is reliable is to check who has published it. For example, if an article has been published in a trustworthy newspaper like the New York Times or by a television network like CNN I feel comfortable citing it in one of my essays. These organizations spend a lot of time and money determining if what they publish is accurate. Moreover, if they later determine that they’ve made a mistake they usually go back and fix it, or even retract the article. While Laura has raised the relevant point that it is important to check which sources an article has cited, she hasn’t mentioned that some unscrupulous publishers might simply fabricate sources.
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