An example

Here's an example of a Fisking, from today's quiz:

The finger-painting versus story time debate has raged for many years. For years, most scholars argued that kindergartners seemed to prefer finger-painting to story time. And the data backed them up.

OK. So far so good. We understand that the issue is a finger-painting vs. story-time debate and what kindergartners prefer. And we're told that most evidence suggests the little tykes prefer finger-painting. And who wouldn't?

But a recent study by Dr. John Smith challenges the conventional wisdom,

Oh, oh. Here we go. Who is this Dr. Smith? What kind of doctor is he? Why should we care what he thinks about anything? We're never told.

arguing that American kindergartners prefer story time to finger-painting.

I'm already a bit skeptical, since all other evidence points out the opposite. But let's give the benefit of doubt. After all, all other studies might be wrong. And we don't even know how many there were, how credible those were. We're just told that "the data" backed up "most scholars". Scholars about finger-painting? Do we really need scholars for that?

Smith’s findings were recently published on his website.

Not an academic journal? Not a major weekly (or monthly) news magazine? I get the feeling Dr. Smith isn't very well-known (or respected?) in the finger-painting scholarship community. But could we at least see what his website is? It'd be nice to check it out ourselves. At least to help form an opinion, or see the original source.

He conducted a survey of Denver five- and six-year-olds between 2001 and 2003, which included a sample varied by race and family income.

OK. So we know the sample was divided by race & income. What about gender? What about religion? And why only Denver? What was the sample size? Was it random? I'm very skeptical of this data.

“I think this study is definitive,” said Smith.

Really? Definitive? I'm sure you'd think so, dear Doctor. But studies are rarely (if ever "definitive"). Especially when they contradict all other previous finger-painting scholarship.

“It’s obvious that kids, when asked, prefer to keep their clothes clean, in order to avoid making their mommies mad.”

How exactly did you word your questions to these kindertykes, Dr? Seems you stacked the deck in your favor.

Smith was recently presented his findings to the New York City School Board after a parent contacted him to help convince the school board to cancel finger painting in the city’s kindergartens.

And here we find out that Dr. Smith is being called in as an expert witness. But what does a study of Denver kindergartners have to do with New York City? Even ignoring the glaring errors in the study (as reported). But only an irate parent called him? Not the school board officials? I wonder what their reaction is.