Recognizing the Main Idea and Source Bias in a Complex Reading

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify the main idea expressed in a complex reading with multiple viewpoints.
  • Recognize bias within a reading.
  • Identify opinions disguised as facts.


College assignments often incorporate or are focused upon complex, multilayered textsWords that make up a book, essay, article, poem, or speech.. Breaking those texts down into manageable chunks is helpful in developing a working understanding of the overall readingA piece of writing to be read. A reading can either be a full work (i.e., a book) or partial (i.e., a passage). and figuring out the writer's central themesThe main idea or meaning of a text., opinionsPoint of view that shows a personal belief or bias and cannot be proven to be completely true. and thesisAn overall argument, idea, or belief that a writer uses as the basis for a work.. This, in turn, will allow you to develop effective summariesA brief restatement of an author’s main idea and major supporting details. Summaries are factual and should be written in the third-person with an objective point of view., responsesA written analysis of a reading that shows understanding and fosters deep thinking about a work., and analysesTo analyze is to make a thoughtful and detailed study of something. An analysis is the end result of analyzing. of the readings.

This lesson will help you develop strategies around unraveling a complex reading and identifying its main ideaThe most important or central thought of a reading selection. It also includes what the author wants the reader to understand about the topic he or she has chosen to write about.. You will also learn how to recognize biasIn writing, bias indicates a writer's personal prejudice for or against an idea, person, activity, or object. Being objective, or displaying no tendency toward a preference, is the opposite of showing bias. in a reading and identify opinionsPoint of view that shows a personal belief or bias and cannot be proven to be completely true. disguised as factsA piece of information that can be proven. Something that is true and indisputable.—two additional and valuable skills in being able to effectively respond to the ideas and writings of others.

Identifying the Main Idea

One way to simplify a complex text with multiple perspectivesThe point of view from which an author considers a subject or issue., explanations, or justifications is to first identify the writer's main idea. Follow these strategies to identify the main idea:

1. Remember that even when you are reading a text with multiple points of view, you are looking for the writer's main idea. While the writer may present viewpoints that echo the main ideas of the contributing authors or other sources, do not mistake these viewpoints for the main idea the writer of the text is trying to convey.

2. Look for repeated words and ideas that indicate the writer's topic and the point being made about it. Repeating keywordsWords that are important to understanding the meaning of a passage or reading. and ideas is a common practice for many writers, and even if they are presented from different perspectives within the text, the repetition itself is a good indicator of the writer's intended topicThe subject of a reading. .

3. Weigh the amount of time given to each viewpoint. If equal time is given to each position, then the writer may be neutral on the subject. If more time is given to one viewpoint over another, it may indicate that the writer agrees or strongly disagrees with that point of view.

4. Look for words that signal the writer's analysisTo analyze is to make a thoughtful and detailed study of something. An analysis is the end result of analyzing. of the situation. If the writer follows a particular viewpoint with "however," then you can assume that the writer does not entirely agree with that viewpoint and is providing a counterpoint.

5. Identify the title and headings. In non-fiction writing, the title often repeats the main idea of the reading.

6. Look for the adjectivesWords that modify and describe a noun. Examples: old, tall, leafy. and adverbsWords that modify and describe a verb, adjective, or other adverb. Examples: quickly, awkwardly, lovingly. that accompany each viewpoint.  If a writer prefaces a source with the words, "successfully presents his case," then it is clear that the author agrees with that point of view or believes that point has more merit than another point. If, instead, the writer describes someone's claims as "dubious," it is clear that the writer does not believe that particular point has value.

7. Look for an introduction and conclusion. These are both areas where writers tend to briefly summarize the point of the text. The introduction and conclusion of most  readings are usually comparatively brief; however, they serve to drive home the main points of the writer.

8. Break down the paragraphs into the MEAL conceptAn acronym that describes a method of organizing the paragraphs in an essay. Under this plan, each paragraph should have a Main point, Evidence, Analysis, and a Link to the next paragraph.: main idea, evidenceFacts, statistics, or expert testimony that supports a claim., analysis, and linkTo connect ideas together within a paragraph or to create a transition from one paragraph to the next, as well as back to the thesis.. The varying viewpoints will be the writer's evidence. The analysis, however, will be the writer's own thoughts and should point you to the writer's main idea.

MEAL concept:

Main Idea:  the topic sentenceA sentence that contains the controlling idea for an entire paragraph and is typically the first sentence of the paragraph., identifying one of the supporting claimsA statement that something is true, such as the thesis of an essay. A successful writer must present evidence to prove his/her claim. for the thesis.

Evidence: factsA piece of information that can be proven. Something that is true and indisputabl, expertSomeone who is very knowledgeable about a topic. opinion, or anecdotal evidenceA brief, interesting story that supports a claim in a critical analysis or persuasion essay. proving the claim described in the topic sentence.

Analysis:  explaining how the evidence supports the topic sentence.

Link:  a transition from one paragraph to another, as well as back to the thesis.

Recognizing Bias

Once you have determined the main idea, you should take a closer look at the writer's argumentA set of statements or reasons making a case for or against something.. One particular concern is whether the author is biased. Bias can be defined as a leaning toward or away from one side of an issue. In other words, the writer is either for or against an argument or idea. Ask yourself these questions to determine whether a reading contains bias:

1. Is the source of the reading known for a particular bias? For example, some news stations tend to lean toward a more politically conservative perspective while others tend to lean toward a more liberal perspective.

2. Is the reading funded by a particular organization? For example, a study on toothpaste that is funded by Superwhite brand toothpaste might be biased. The results of the study directly impact the very company that is paying for the research.

3. Do the graphics accurately represent the subject? If photographs are being used as evidence to support reasoning, it is essential to know whether or not the photographs are authentic or staged, i.e., images altered by a computer program or distorted by a leading or misrepresentative caption.

Photos are not the only images that you need to analyze. Also look at charts, graphs, and illustrations. Look closely at all parts of graphs and charts because it is fairly easy to misrepresent dataFacts, numbers, or information. to portray circumstances that are more positive or more negative than they really are by skewing details and data.

4. Does the reading include subjectiveWording that shows a writer's feelings or opinions. For example, words such as feel, believe, and think are obvious signs that a writer is being subjective. language? Did the reading present ideas that are open to interpretation, perhaps influenced by cultural, social, or political views? For example, an articleA non-fiction, often informative writing that forms a part of a publication, such as a magazine or newspaper. about an oil pipeline running through a national forest that portrays the oil and gas industry as "reasonable" and "cautious," yet describes environmental groups as "naïve" and "unrealistic," may show a bias toward the oil and gas industry.

5. Do the graphs and diagrams accurately represent the data? Read the graphs and diagrams carefully to make sure that they make sense and that what they say is accurately represented in the reading. Graphs and diagrams can be misrepresented in biased readings.

6. Are there any facts that have been left out? A news article that presents only "one side" of an event will tell a different story than an article that includes accounts by multiple parties.

7. Have quotesTo use the exact words of someone else in a writing. Quotes are indicted in a writing using quotation marks and attributive phrases. been edited in such a way that important words or ideas are left out? For example, look at quotes used in marketing films and books. The marketing campaigns may use only the portions that reflect favorably on their product. Even worse is when a quote has been altered in such a way that it implies the exact opposite of its original intended meaning. You may need to locate the original quote before you know whether the writer used it correctly.

Identifying Opinions Disguised as Facts

When you read, you need to be able to separate what is actually being said from how it is being said. This task is made more difficult when writers make their opinions seem like facts. Here are a few ways that you can distinguish between facts and opinions.

1. Recognize logical fallaciesA mistake in reasoning; faulty thinking that weakens an argument or leads to an incorrect conclusion.. A logical fallacy is faulty reasoning upon which an ideaA thought, opinion, or impression., theoryIn science, a well tested and widely accepted explanation for a phenomenon. Theories incorporate facts, observations, experiments, laws, and careful reasoning. In more general usage, theory may merely mean an unproven idea, speculation, or guesswork., thesis, or hypothesisA preliminary explanation that needs further study before it can be accepted. A hypothesis is stronger than a guess but less supported than a theory. is based. There are many different yet common logical fallacies. For example, the "cherry picking fallacy" relies upon choosing only that data or evidence that will lead to your desired outcome rather than revealing the full picture.


The woman crossing the street was clearly in the right when she was struck by the moving vehicle because she was in a neighborhood with many walkers, it was daylight, and the roads were not icy.

This cherry picking fallacy only presents one side of what could be a police report, a legal argument, or a journalistic account of an incident; it fails to take into account all evidence, such as the state of mind of the walker, her location in relation to a crosswalk, the driver's story, and the condition of the vehicle in question. The full story is not revealed.

2. Identify opinions attributed to unknown strangers. This is the use of language that implies a fact without stating it as a fact.


The neighborhood has seen a dramatic increase in theft and property crime, a phenomenon many people say is due to the rising underage student population.

Knowing the identity of the "many people" in the above example is important to analyze this claim. If the "many people" are just the members of the writer's circle of family and friends, this may be an unfounded claim. If, however, most members of the neighborhood association as well as local authorities believe that students are to blame, then this allegation may have more weight.

3. Recognize the difference between imagined and actual motives. Guessing about others' motives is a practice often seen in controversial or poorly crafted journalismCollecting, editing, writing, and presenting news and other information to an audience. . It is speculating as to the thoughts, ideas, opinions, and views of others rather than reporting just evidentiary facts or statements.


One of the students running for council president is campaigning for a campus-wide curfew and ban of all tobacco and alcohol products. Clearly he is pushing his own moral agenda to change the entire attitude of the school.

In the above example, the writer does not give readers any evidence to prove that the student in question based his platform on his own morals. It is possible that there were several deaths on the campus due to drunk driving or that a beloved campus professor was diagnosed with lung cancer.

4. Look for adjectives and adverbs used outside of quotations. While the quotationAn exact copy of the words from a speech or text. These words are placed inside quotation marks to show that they are a perfect repeat of the original. may be an authentic statement made by another individual, an adjective or adverb outside of the quotations is not. The writer is using that adjective or adverb to modifyTo change or specify the meaning of another word, usually the subject or the verb. Example: The red ball quickly bounced over the fence. The adjective red modifies the subject, the ball. Also, the adverb quickly modifies the verb bounced., enhance, or otherwise slantInformation presented with a particular focus or from a certain perspective, such as a writer's angle on a topic. the reading of the quotation.


The politician responded to the media's question regarding the economic stimulus plan with these hurried words: "I am certain we are all eager to hear more about the plan. However, at this time, I am unable to elaborate."

In the above example, the writer claims that the politician spoke in a hurried manner, which could imply that his response was not well thought out or dismissive.  This may not be a correct assumption.  First of all, perhaps the politician always tends to speak quickly and decisively, or maybe his wife was in labor and he was in a rush to leave for the hospital.