As you write a college paper, you try to figure out your purpose, position, and strategies for getting readers to follow your logic and accept your points. Your challenge, of course, is not just to think clearly but to demonstrate your thinking to others, to persuade them to pay attention to what you say. And sound evidence is what critical readers want to see.
See the Quick Research Guide for advice on using a few sources.
Sound evidence supports your main idea or thesis, convincing readers by substantiating your points. It also bolsters your credibility as a writer, demonstrating the merit of your position. When you write, you need to marshal enough appropriate evidence to clarify, explain, and support your ideas. Then you need to weave claims, evidence, and your own interpretations together into a clearly reasoned explanation or argument.