Academic, Professional, and Public Writing

Using appropriate evidence

What is acceptable and persuasive evidence in one discipline may be less so in another. Observable, quantifiable data may constitute the best evidence in experimental psychology, but similar data may be less appropriate—or impossible to come by—in a historical study. An engineering proposal will be backed up with drawings, maps, and detailed calculations. A case study in cultural anthropology, on the other hand, may depend almost entirely on interview data. As you grow familiar with an area of study, you will develop a sense of what it takes to prove a point in that field. You can speed up this process, however, by investigating and questioning. The following questions will help you think about the use of evidence in materials you read:

How do writers in the field use precedent and authority? What or who counts as an authority in this field? How are the credentials of an authority established?
What kinds of quantitative data (countable or measurable items) are used, and for what purposes? How are the data gathered and presented?
How are qualitative data (systematically observed items) used?
How are statistics used and presented? Are tables, charts, graphs, or other visuals important, and why?
How is logical reasoning used? How are definition, cause and effect, analogy, and example used?
Do writers in the field include any personal information, use first person, or provide evidence intended to stir emotions?
How does the field use primary and secondary sources? What are the primary and secondary materials? How is each type of source presented?
What kinds of textual evidence are cited?
How are quotations and other references to sources used and integrated into the text?

In addition to carrying out your own investigation, ask your instructor how you can best go about making a case in this field.