ASSEMBLING REASONS AND EVIDENCEFrom The Craft of Research by Booth, Colomb, and Williams

ARGUMENT CORE Claim

Based on Reasons Based on Evidence

PLAN YOUR ARGUMENT

Introductory Claim

Reason 1

Evidence 2

Evidence 4

Evidence 3

Reason 4

Reason 3

Conclusion

Reason 2

Evidence 1

EVIDENCE Evidence needs to be facts that readers will

accept as facts. If your reader doesn’t believe your

“evidence” is a fact, he/she will consider it only a reason in need of further evidence to make it believable.

Cite primary sources and scientific research as much as possible to support your reasons.

Skeptical readers will keep asking questions about the reliability of your evidence.

METAPHORS FOR EVIDENCE

Good evidence Not very good evidenceSolid WeakHard FlimsyBedrock foundation ShakySee for ourselves ThinCounts

EVIDENCE VS. REPORTS OF EVIDENCE

REQUIREMENTS FOR EVIDENCE Report Evidence Accurately Be Appropriately Precise Provide Sufficient, Representative, and

Authoritative Evidence

REPORT EVIDENCE ACCURATELY Accuracy: make sure you report evidence

without making an error Numbers and data are accurate Quotes are accurate Bibliographic information is accurate

If you are inaccurate, readers will doubt your entire claim

Sometimes you can Use weak evidence if you acknowledge that it is

of questionable origin Gain reader confidence by rejecting evidence

that might seem to support your argument because you doubt its accuracy

BE APPROPRIATELY PRECISE Too much hedging can make the claim

useless to a reader Example: Alternative energy will significantly

increase costs to the economy. Questions:

What types of alternative energy? What do you mean by “significant”? What costs will increase? What parts of the economy will be affected and why?

Be careful using vague language: some, most, many, almost, often, usually, frequently, generally

The standards for precision vary by field: paleontologists might measure time in millions of years; subatomic physicists in nanoseconds

PROVIDE SUFFICIENT, REPRESENTATIVE, AND AUTHORITATIVE EVIDENCE Sufficient

Is there enough evidence to trust the reason? One quote, fact, or number may not be enough to

prove a reason valid (but can disprove a claim) Representative

Does the evidence cover the range of cases or situations that apply to the claim?

Example: opinion surveys of a city should include people from all different parts and social classes of the city

You must show that your evidence is representative Authoritative

Is the type of evidence accepted in the field of study?

BIBLIOGRAPHY Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and

Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research. 3rd ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2008.