Examine the Evidence

Critical thinkers are careful to check that the evidence supporting an argument—whether someone else’s or their own—is of the highest possible quality. To do that, simply ask a few questions about the arguments as you consider them:

What general idea am I being asked to accept?

Are good and sufficient reasons given to support the overall claim?

Are those reasons backed up with evidence in the form of facts, statistics, and quotations?

Does the evidence support the conclusions?

Is the argument based on logical reasoning, or does it appeal mainly to the emotions?

Do I recognize any questionable assumptions?

Can I think of any counterarguments? What facts can I muster as proof?

What do I know about the person or organization making the argument?

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What’s for Breakfast? Do you believe everything you read? Outlandish claims are out there. Use your critical thinking abilities to practice healthy skepticism about what you see in print and online that seems far-fetched. Use credible sources to check it out. What examples can you think of in which a claim seemed too good to be true?
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If you’re still not certain of its quality after you have evaluated the evidence used in support of a claim, it’s best to keep looking. Drawing on questionable evidence for an argument has a tendency to backfire. In most cases a little persistence will help you find something better. (You can find tips on how to find and evaluate sources in Chapter 10, Information Literacy and Communication.)