Evaluating for bias

Biotechnology Industry Organization. Farming and Environmental Benefits. Retrieved September 9, 2005, from http://www.bio.org/foodag/background/benefits.asp

This article is written as a strictly informative piece. It outlines the economic and environmental benefits of biotechnology crops for farmers. It also includes a detailed list of references for additional information, which includes numerous technical and scientific works.

There may be a fairly strong bias here, however. For one thing, there is really only one overriding point of view being presented which isn't surprising considering the article is produced by a biotechnology industry organization. Additionally, the article does not provide research to dispute concerns about the safety of these crops in terms of their long-term effects on humans and other species. This perspective has been left unaddressed.

It would be wise, at this point, to check out several of the article's references to learn about their validity and how well they support what's being presented here. You should also find out as much as you can about the site's sponsors. This will give you a sense of where their true interests lie in regards to this topic.

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