Question

four students do research on the impact of sugar on developing heart disease and present arguments based upon their research as seen on this chart. whose research reached a conclusion supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning?
student | source | conclusion
student 1 | blog | the author explained that there are many alternatives to sugar and explained recipes for using some of these alternatives.
student 2 | journal article | the journal presented summaries of how studies on the impact of sugar on heart disease have changed over the years.
student 3 | youtube | the video showed how many packets are in a single can of soda.
student 4 | research presentation | the presentation summarized a study in which researchers found that people with heart disease ate more sugar, on average, than people without heart disease.
options: a student 1, b student 2, c student 3, d student 4

Explanation:

To determine which research conclusion is supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning, we analyze each student's source and conclusion:

• Student 1: Source is a blog. Blogs are often opinion - based or anecdotal, not typically empirical or scientific.
• Student 2: Source is a journal article. Journal articles in the context of health research (sugar and heart disease) present summaries of studies. These studies are based on empirical data (collected through research methods like experiments, surveys, etc.) and scientific reasoning (using established scientific methods to analyze data). The conclusion about how sugar's impact on heart disease has changed over the years is likely derived from analyzing multiple studies, which is scientific.
• Student 3: Source is YouTube. YouTube videos can be non - scientific, like a video showing how many soda packets are in a single can, which is not related to scientific research on sugar and heart disease.
• Student 4: Source is a research presentation. While a research presentation can be scientific, the conclusion here is about a study that found people with heart disease have more sugar on average. But compared to a journal article (Student 2), journal articles are more likely to be peer - reviewed and have a more comprehensive analysis of multiple studies over time. Journal articles in this field (related to health and sugar's impact on heart disease) are a more reliable source of empirical evidence and scientific reasoning as they summarize multiple studies, providing a broader and more scientific view of the topic over the years.

Answer:

B. Student 2