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General Study Skills November, 2015Incorporating evidence into your writingOne method of achieving good marks in your assignments is to have a strong argument. A strong argumentis one which is persuasive and is clearly presented. One of the most important elements of creating apersuasive argument is to use evidence. Generally, you use evidence to:? map the debate? demonstrate where your argument fits into the debate.Specifically, you can use evidence in a number of ways:? to distinguish one point of view from another? to create a link between a cause and an effect? to refute someone else’s argument? to substantiate your logic or claim? to compare one thing with another, from which your argument can be furthered.Here are some ways to work evidence into your writing:? Offer evidence that agrees with your stance up to a point, then add to it with ideas of your own.? Present evidence that contradicts your stance, and then argue against (refute) that evidence andtherefore strengthen your position.? Use sources against each other, as if they were experts on a panel discussing your proposition.? Use paraphrasing/summarising/quotations to support your assertion, not merely to state or restate yourclaim.Below is an example of evidence-based writing by a first year Health Sciences student:A large number of developing countries still allow the procurement of antibiotics over-thecounter, without any professional oversight. The likelihood that these antibiotics are being usedcorrectly without the proper guidance of a medical professional is low (Hobson, 2012). Daviesand Davies (2010) also suggest that many countries are receiving antibiotics that are alreadyineffective in western nations, contributing to the problem for these countries locally and forthe wider global community. It should be noted though, that some developing countries arestarting to more tightly regulate access, with Chile banning the sale of antibiotics without aprescription and India trying to create an accreditation system to assist in regulating the use ofantibiotics (Chatterjee & Fleck, 2011). In the absence of appropriate regulation, furtherawareness of the problem and education on their correct usage may assist.*Activitya) Based on the above list of ‘how you can use evidence’, identify how this student has used evidencein this paragraph.b) Identify how this student has transitioned from each use of evidence to the other.General Study Skills November, 2015Weak and Strong Uses of EvidenceIn order to use evidence

effectively, you need to integrate it smoothly into your essay by following this pattern:? State your claim.? Give your evidence, remembering to relate it to the claim.? Comment on the evidence to show how it supports the claim.To see the differences between strong and weak uses of evidence, compare the following two paragraphs.Weak use of evidenceToday, we are too self-centred. Most families no longer sit down to eat together, preferringinstead to eat on the go while rushing to the next appointment (Gleick, 2011). Everythingis about what we want.This is a weak example of evidence because the evidence is not related to the claim. What does the claim aboutself-centeredness have to do with families eating together? The writer doesn’t explain the connection. The sameevidence can be used to support the same claim, but only with the addition of a clear connection between claimand evidence, and some analysis of the evidence cited.*Activitya) Identify the other limitation of this example, e.g. it is related to the use of academic language.Stronger use of evidenceToday, Australians appear to be self-centred. Families do not seem to matter as much asthey once did, while other people and activities appear to take precedence. In fact, theevidence shows that most Australian families no longer eat together, preferring instead toeat on the go while rushing to the next appointment (Gleick, 2011). Sit-down meals havebeen a time to share and connect with others; however, that connection has become lessvalued, as families begin to prize individual activities over shared time, promoting selfcenteredness over group identity (Forest, 2013).This is a far better example, as the evidence is more smoothly integrated into the text, the link between the claimand the evidence is strengthened, and the evidence itself is analysed to provide support for the claim. Moreover,two sources are used to provide evidence, which builds a stronger argument overall.*Questionsa) Why is using more than one source desirable when presenting an argument?b) Do you think there should be a minimum number of sources?Information in this helpsheet adapted from the following sources:Australian National University (2010). Using evidence in your essay. Retrieved January 25, 2016 fromhttps://academicskills.anu.edu.au/resources/handouts/using-evidence-your-essayIndiana University. (2011). Incorporating evidence into your essay. Retrieved fromhttp://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/using_evidence.pdfGeneral Study Skills November, 2015