Types of Evidence in a Text

Type of Evidence

Definition of Evidence

Example

Factual Example

FE

An example presented as a reliable fact to support the authors

main idea, although there is no source offered to prove its truth.

The McDonalds Corporation wants

to be everywhere that children are.

Personal/Anecdotal

PE

A story from the authors personal life or observations

used in support of the main idea.

When I was growing up in the 1940s

and 50s, I had to walk or bike many
blocks to buy an ice cream cone.

Allusions or Comparisons AE

A statement that assumes the reader has a body of knowledge of

something (imagine) OR a comparison to well-known
historical or cultural events, artifacts, and so forth.

First, tobacco advertising was

banned from television.

Expert Testimony

ET

Either a quotation or a summary from an individual person or

professional agency with expertise/experience/ knowledge of the
topic.

The problem of obesity is so

staggering, so out of control, that we
have to do something, say Walter
Willett, a professor of nutrition at the
Harvard School of Public Health.

Statistic/Research

S/R

Evidence that cites specific numbers/percentages/dates, research.

This evidence may or may not be a part of expert testimony.

So besides operating 13,602

restaurants in the United State, it has
plastered its golden arches on Barbie
dolls, video games, book jackets, and
even theme parks.

Commonly Held
Assumption/Belief

CHB

An inclusive statement presented about societal values, human

nature or human behavior as if all readers would be in agreement
with the author.

Schools that introduce healthful

foods in the classroom have shown
that they are more likely to be eaten
in the lunchroom and at home.

Examples taken from: If You Pitch it, They Will Eat by David Barboza and Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring Out its Cause by
Jane E. Brody

Evaluating Evidence
Definition

Examples

Appropriateness

Refers to the relationship

between evidence used and its
appropriateness for the
audience, the genre, the
publication, and the purpose.

Lack of footnotes in a scientific article submitted for publication in a scientific journal

Lacking detail or having too much detail
Is it too qualitative or too quantitative?
The use of anecdotal evidence as opposed to research when writing a scientific article
Overly scientific terms when writing for the general public

Relevance

Refers to the relationship

between the claim (main claim
or sub-claim) and the evidence

Son to mother: My roommate is dishonest. Mother to son: That cannot be; he always
dresses so well.
Op-ed on how animals are like humans: Because an elephant stands by its dead baby, it has
a sense of his own mortality.
Ad Hominem attack as a reason to dismiss evidence: There is no reason to listen to the
arguments of those who oppose school prayer because they are arguments of atheists.
Americans are generous. Look at Bill Gates. (Bill Gates is not representative of all
Americans - hes a billionaire.)

Sufficiency

Refers to the amount of evidence

to support the claim (main claim
or sub-claim)

Whats missing? Names of researchers or experts, institutions, dates?

Has the author been selective with his/her evidence? What did he/she include or leave out?
In an article on social profiling: providing the racial and ethnic percentages of people
arrested in a given area, but never providing the overall racial and ethnic breakdown of the
area.

Credibility

Refers to the credibility of the

author, the evidence, and the
sources used.

What words does the author use that have connotative meaning to sway the audience and
give credibility to the evidence? Look for loaded words
Is there any language that puts a slant on reality?
Ethos of author Is she/he an expert in this field? How does this persons expertise give
him/her a right to write on this topic? Tom Hanks persuading taxpayers to fund two-year
community colleges simply because he attended community college.
Dates (current, recent past, or old)

Is the evidence peer reviewed, or is it funded by a group that has a vested interest in
skewing the data?