EQ: How do we evaluate the effectiveness of different evidence? Evaluating Evidence EQ: How do we evaluate the effectiveness of different evidence?

Why we need evidence When reading any text, we expect to see evidence that will inform or persuade us as readers All evidence has weight. Different types of evidence have different levels of efficacy The appropriateness of different types of evidence is also determined by the context in which we receive that evidence. You might not, for example, cite statistics to a friend in casual conversation, but conversely neither would you rely simply on your own knowledge to convince a teacher about why he should cancel homework tonight.

Types of Evidence Hard Evidence- this is evidence that we generally take to be irrefutable. Generally this means getting facts and figures or relies on the authority of an expert Soft Evidence- this is evidence that might not be as easy to prove, such as personal experiences or a logical progression of events based on common knowledge

Types of Hard Evidence Experts Typically we see experts as authority figures who are more credible, so we take their evidence as hard evidence. However, beware of experts giving their own experiences or opinions without backing those up. Data or Statistics “Numbers don’t lie…” except when they do. We are trained to take statistics as incontrovertible proof, but sometimes looking at the sample size or population reveals that results can be skewed.

Types of Soft Evidence Examples Reasoning or Inferences Our own experiences tell us that specific things happen as a result of other things. We know ovens get hot and cook food, therefore we should probably not put our hands on a hot oven door. Even if we have not experienced it, we know that we will probably get burned. Personal Anecdotes Your own experience can also be evidence. You might know how it feels to win a tournament and can use that to prove why winning supports future success. Examples You might be able to pull examples from other people’s experiences or from movies/novels that you have read as well.

Summary All types of writing require evidence Different types of writing require different types of evidence All types of evidence have different levels of efficacy Effectiveness of a piece of evidence depends on the situation (or type of writing) and your audience Effectiveness = credibility + relevance