Identify a global societal issue from the following list that you would consider researching further for your Week 5 Final Paper

Identify a global societal issue from the following list that you would consider
researching further for your Week 5 Final Paper
The global societal issue that I selected for my week five final paper is poverty and
income inequality.
Describe effective methods you used in identifying and narrowing down to just one of
the topics to further research for your Final Paper.
In identifying the topic, I analyzed my passion as well as interests. I run a charity
basketball club that is involved with helping children and young adults from underprivileged
backgrounds. I have interacted with these young people, and I have to a conclusion that
poverty and income inequality is a serious problem affecting individuals globally. I would
want to research more on the topic and ensure that I can come up with valid
recommendations that can help make the situation better. I have watched various
documentaries as well that touch on the issue, and this has continued to draw my interest in
the issue. Most of the problems that are experienced globally can be traced back to poverty.
Examples include healthcare problems as well as inequality in education. The poor cannot
afford quality healthcare and are also unable to put their children to school.
Explain three ways you can critically analyze sources to determine if they are scholarly.
In GEN 103, the primary way of evaluating sources is using the CRAAP test. CRAAP
is an acronym that represents currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose. Currency
represents the timeliness of the information contained in a source. In evaluating poverty and
income inequality, one needs information that is current since global trends on the same are
always changing. Relevance alludes to the information’s ability to meet the needs of the
research. One needs to evaluate whether the information is related to the research topic as
well as the intended audience. Authority demands that one analyzes the source of

information. Peer-reviewed journals are preferred over non-scholarly sources. In evaluating
authority, I analyzed the qualifications of the authors and aimed at getting authors who have a
level of expertise on the topic. In evaluating the accuracy of the source, one analyzes the
correctness of the content. I looked at sources that were backed by evidence. The purpose of
the source is the reason why an article was written. I avoided sources that offer a one-sided
view on the topic.
Summarize information from at least two scholarly journal articles from the Ashford
University Library that will support your claims for your chosen topic.
One article I selected is titled Income and poverty in the United States. The article
analyzes the situation in the United States as of 2019. Based on the article, the total income of
citizens in the United States has been increasing. Then median earnings have risen over the
years. The number of people earning more has also risen substantially. In 2019, it was
estimated that the number of poor Americans stood at 34.0 million. While the number went
down in 2019 compared to 2018, poverty continues to be a problem in America. People of
color continue to be disadvantaged by poverty in America.
Another article that I discovered in my search is titled Effects of Poverty on
Interacting Biological Systems Underlying Child Development. The article analyzes the effect
of poverty on child development. When a child is born in a poor household, they are likely to
have problems relating to food insecurity and infectious diseases. Poverty also interacts with
other factors in shaping the child’s neurocognitive development.
Explain why scholarly sources should be used to support your writing on the selected
topic
The first source explains the poverty situation in America. It helps in explaining the
trends of poverty as well as the problems that individuals encounter as a result of poverty. It

explains the trends of poverty in relationship to races. The article will be useful in examining
poverty and income inequality from a racial standpoint. The second article goes further to
analyze the impact of poverty on child development. It will be useful in examining the
problems poverty causes on child development.
Download and attach a PDF copy of one of the peer-reviewed scholarly articles that you
found from the Ashford University Library to your answer using the “Attach” function
located below your response.
I have attached the article below.

References

Jensen, S. K., Berens, A. E., & Nelson 3rd, C. A. (2017). Effects of poverty on interacting
biological systems underlying child development. The Lancet Child & Adolescent
Health, 1(3), 225-239.
Semega, J. L., Fontenot, K. R., & Kollar, M. A. (2019). Income and poverty in the United
States: 2016. Current Population Reports, (P60-259).