Though inductive reasoning leads to probable and not absolute truth, you can assess a conclusion's likely probability by asking three questions. This chart shows how to apply those questions to a sample conclusion based on a survey.
| The majority of students on our campus would volunteer at least five hours a week in a community organization if the school provided a placement service for volunteers. | |
| In a recent survey, 723 of 1,215 students questioned said they would volunteer at least five hours a week in a community organization if the school provided a placement service for volunteers. |
1. Is the evidence sufficient?
That depends. On a small campus (say, 3,000 students), the pool of students surveyed would be sufficient for market research, but on a large campus (say, 30,000), 1,215 students are only 4 percent?of the population. If those 4 percent were known to be truly representative of the other 96 percent, however, even such a small sample would be sufficient (see question 2).
2. Is the evidence representative?
Only if those responding to the survey reflect the characteristics of the entire student population: age, sex, race, field of study, number of extracurricular commitments, and so on. If most of those surveyed are majors in a field like social work, the researchers should question the survey's conclusion.
3. Is the evidence relevant?
Yes. The survey results are directly linked to the conclusion. A survey about the number of hours students work for pay would not be relevant because it would not be about choosing to volunteer.