EVIDENCE
The term ‘evidence’ is used in crime dramas, in personal disputes, in courts of law, and in academic writing. The types of evidence might vary dramatically, but most of the time when making a claim that others will dispute, people need evidence.
Overview:
Evidence is a concept that is closely linked to the notion of proof, and therefore to the notion of burden of proof. Sometimes, evidence is used to describe ‘support’ that an idea is or is not valid. Frequently, the phrase ‘empirical evidence’ is invoked. Evidence is typically gathered through observation. Ideally, evidence would be gathered through direct observation conducted by neutral individuals in controlled conditions. Instead, what really happens is that sometimes the observation is indirect, sometimes the people gathering the information have a bias, and sometimes the circumstances are not under the control of the person gathering the data. However, because each of these factors can be understood and taken into consideration, it is still possible to gain meaningful support for claims and to prevent many arguments from becoming matters of opinion.
Application:
Evidence supports the arguments made in academic writing and college-level arguments. Frequently, student writers have to assemble support, and then they have to decide how that support does or does not contribute to an argument. Sometimes, a single piece of evidence might prove that a claim is valid. Other times, the claim will require multiple pieces of evidence in support.
Mishandling evidence is a common problem in student writing, because it is sometimes difficult to remember the assumptions that we are making. For example, consider a poll that indicates that a majority of Americans think that there was some sort of conspiracy to assassinate John F. Kennedy. This is not proof, in any way, that a conspiracy existed (facts are not decided by majority opinion); it is proof, however, that the Americans who were polled do, in fact, question the official story.
What to Avoid:
Writers need to avoid thinking that finding someone else who agrees with them constitutes evidence. They also need to avoid logical fallacy in their arguments. Finally, and most importantly, they need to avoid thinking that all evidence proves all arguments equally well.
People frequently commit logical fallacies (Unit 6) when grappling with an issue, and this can result in major errors. Students should avoid thinking that an argumentative “chain” that they encounter in another piece of writing is valid simply because it is compelling. Many, many flawed arguments are out there, and student writers are responsible for their mistakes when they accept them.
The term ‘evidence’ is used in crime dramas, in personal disputes, in courts of law, and in academic writing. The types of evidence might vary dramatically, but most of the time when making a claim that others will dispute, people need evidence.
Overview:
Evidence is a concept that is closely linked to the notion of proof, and therefore to the notion of burden of proof. Sometimes, evidence is used to describe ‘support’ that an idea is or is not valid. Frequently, the phrase ‘empirical evidence’ is invoked. Evidence is typically gathered through observation. Ideally, evidence would be gathered through direct observation conducted by neutral individuals in controlled conditions. Instead, what really happens is that sometimes the observation is indirect, sometimes the people gathering the information have a bias, and sometimes the circumstances are not under the control of the person gathering the data. However, because each of these factors can be understood and taken into consideration, it is still possible to gain meaningful support for claims and to prevent many arguments from becoming matters of opinion.
Application:
Evidence supports the arguments made in academic writing and college-level arguments. Frequently, student writers have to assemble support, and then they have to decide how that support does or does not contribute to an argument. Sometimes, a single piece of evidence might prove that a claim is valid. Other times, the claim will require multiple pieces of evidence in support.
Mishandling evidence is a common problem in student writing, because it is sometimes difficult to remember the assumptions that we are making. For example, consider a poll that indicates that a majority of Americans think that there was some sort of conspiracy to assassinate John F. Kennedy. This is not proof, in any way, that a conspiracy existed (facts are not decided by majority opinion); it is proof, however, that the Americans who were polled do, in fact, question the official story.
What to Avoid:
Writers need to avoid thinking that finding someone else who agrees with them constitutes evidence. They also need to avoid logical fallacy in their arguments. Finally, and most importantly, they need to avoid thinking that all evidence proves all arguments equally well.
People frequently commit logical fallacies (Unit 6) when grappling with an issue, and this can result in major errors. Students should avoid thinking that an argumentative “chain” that they encounter in another piece of writing is valid simply because it is compelling. Many, many flawed arguments are out there, and student writers are responsible for their mistakes when they accept them.
