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Using Evidence to Build Arguments

Using Evidence Variations Created by AIs
AIs can use this page to upload exercises/assignments/approaches they have created or modified for their course.

1.  Explanation that can be used in all classroom environments:

Introduction Using evidence to build a persuasive argument is, more often than not, a brand new concept for first year students. Finding and using evidence builds on the research skills they have begun to acquire; thus while the concept will be new, the process is not. Many of the resources we refer to in this section are those we have explained in previous sections (Finding Background Info, Brainstorming Keywords) because these are the building blocks of any successful search. Reinforcing these ideas with your students will show the utility of what they learned over the past few weeks, while also easing them into a more difficult assignment by acknowledging that some of this will seem familiar. One great way to do this is to explain that research is an iterative process where they will be repeating many of the same research steps over time to refine their results and retrieve more relevant articles. In most cases, they won't find their perfect article on the first go-round. You can illustrate this point by referring back to building and adding to their keyword grid after performing a search.

1.1  Why use evidence?

Often times students are unsuccessful finding articles in library databases or on the web because they are looking exactly for their paper. Brainstorming keywords as part of the iterative research process is one way to combat "hitting a research wall." Another way is to use evidence as way to support your argument. Using evidence is a persuasive way to convey your opinion. Evidence usually appears in the form of statistics, facts, or research studies and conclusions. Using this in addition to stating an opinion will bolster arguments by basing them on facts or hard evidence. (You may want to discuss in more depth how facts can also be biased or be taken out of context, but it doesn't directly relate to library research.)This can be a difficult and abstract concept to talk about so illustrate it with an example: My topic is Walmart is a socially irresponsible company.

I've identified some of the controversies surrounding Wal-Mart: poor labor practices, destruction of small businesses, and harmful to the environment. (Again, this is where the background information and brainstorming keywords for main concepts really help).

1. To illustrate Wal-Mart's poor labor practices using evidence, I might find statistics on the income gap between male and female Wal-Mart employees. I could also try to find summaries of law proceedings of class-action lawsuits.
2. To illustrate how Wal-Mart destroys small businesses, I might try to find statistics of the number of area businesses that closed around or after the Wal-Mart store entered the community. Likewise, I could try to find articles on community outcries from local business owners. Finding polls on how community members feel about Wal-Mart would also serve to illustrate the point.
3. To illustrate how Wal-Mart harms the environment, I might try to find a study about how paved parking lots contribute to water pollution. Because parking accompanies these massive stores, this is bound to disrupt the local environment. It's important to emphasize that when using evidence, the evidence or articles don't necessarily have to to reference your topic specifically (in this case, Wal-Mart.) Instead, your readers will infer the connection between the paved parking lots and Wal-Mart's parking lots.
   

The goal is try to find something that people may not be specifically talking about in an opinion or viewpoint article, but would support the broader opinion that they may have. Students can also used public opinion polls to illustrate this point.

1.2  Note on Scholarly Sources

When you begin talking about evidence and mention research studies, keep in mind that many first-year students do not know what a scholarly journal is and have never seen one. It may be useful to explain what they are and how the articles they find there, although not overtly viewpoints, are useful as evidence (see the paving parking lots example above). If you are covering logos, pathos and ethos in your class, this can be a useful way to explain the utility of scholarly articles. Since up to this point they've spent most of their time searching for opinions and editorials, remind them that multidisciplinary databases such as Academic Search Complete and Academic OneFile are useful places to find scholarly sources as well. To find both scholarly and non-scholarly articles that are not viewpoints, they should leave "opinion* or editorial*" out of their search. You can also direct your students the the Popular Versus Scholarly Guide.

Another way to illustrate the difference between popular and scholarly sources is to find an example of a scholarly source reported in a popular source, look at both the popular sources' representation of the scholarly information and the original scholarly source, and discuss the differences with your students. For example, many students who read magazines or listen to/watch/read the news are used to hearing the phrase "A recent study from..." You can explain that this study would have been published in a scholarly journal and then discuss the difference between the original study and the report of the study in the popular source. In addition to more fully illustrating the difference between scholarly and popular sources, it provides an opportunity to discuss audience.

One example you may want to use is about a study linking watching TV shows which depict or imply sex to teen pregnancy.
Newspaper article:
Study: Sex on TV impacts teen pregnancy risk Rates are much higher for those who watch a lot, researchers say
By LINDSEY TANNER
Associated Press
Nov. 3, 2008, 10:49AM
Link to story in Houston Chronicle

Original study in academic journal:
Does Watching Sex on Television Predict Teen Pregnancy? Findings From a National Longitudinal Survey of Youth
Anita Chandra, DrPHa, Steven C. Martino, PhDb, Rebecca L. Collins, PhDc, Marc N. Elliott, PhDc, Sandra H. Berry, MAc, David E. Kanouse, PhDc and Angela Miu, MSc
PEDIATRICS Vol. 122 No. 5 November 2008, pp. 1047-1054
Link to Article in library database

1.3  Note on Local Issues

If your students are writing about local issues, be sure to point them to the Finding Information about Local Issues guide. In addition, make sure they understand that they may have to look at their issue in a broader context (state, national, international) but that is ok. For example, if they are writing about the importance of adding more green space to the West Mall, they may find some viewpoints about this in the Daily Texan but they can also use discussions of the importance of green space on college campuses more generally to support their argument.

1.4  Note on Evaluating Library Resources

Your students may not think they have to evaluate library sources, in particular scholarly sources. Tips on helping students understand how to evaluate library sources are available at Evaluating Library Resources.

2.  Next Steps: No Technology in the Classroom

Talk to your students about the concepts listed above, and then ask them to complete the first part of the Using Evidence to Build Arguments worksheet up through the section which asks them to identify who would create or collect the evidence. At that point, ask for a few volunteers, go over their worksheets as a class and work together to answer the question of where the evidence would be published. Then have students work in groups to complete the last section (where the evidence would be published) of their worksheets. Review databases (especially Academic Search Complete and Academic OneFile), and introduce Polling the Nations. Review keyword brainstorming as well, using the Wal-Mart example. For a take home exercise, ask them to find and cite 2-3 articles or pieces of evidence they found which they identified in the worksheet. You can give them or point them to the How to Find Public Opinion (Polls & Surveys) Guide as a resource. (The last two questions on the worksheet will probably be very difficult for freshmen to answer. These questions push them to create a more comprehensive research plan than they probably usually create and think about the nature and cycle of information.)

3.  Next Steps: Instructor Station Only

Talk to your students about the concepts listed above, and then ask them to complete the first part of the Using Evidence to Build Arguments worksheet up through the section which asks them to identify who would create or collect the evidence. At that point, ask for a few volunteers, go over their worksheets as a class and work together to answer the question of where the evidence would be published. Then have students work in groups to complete the last section (where the evidence would be published) of their worksheets. Now that they are ready to begin finding the evidence, review keyword brainstorming using the Wal-Mart example. With the instructor station, use the words you brainstormed to review Academic Search Complete and Academic OneFile not limited to viewpoints. Discuss some of the results you get and how they might be used as evidence. Then briefly introduce Polling the Nations. For a take home exercise, ask them to find and cite 2-3 articles or pieces of evidence they found which they identified in the worksheet. You can give them or point them to the How to Find Public Opinion (Polls & Surveys) Guide as a resource.

• Note: The last two questions on the worksheet will probably be very difficult for freshmen to answer. These questions push them to create a more comprehensive research plan than they probably usually create and think about the nature and cycle of information.
• Note: You can split this up over a few sessions by having them work through the first part of the Evidence worksheet as a take-home exercise, and then spending time in class doing group work to determine where information would be published and reviewing keywords and databases.

4.  Next Steps: Hands-On Classroom

Talk to your students about the concepts listed above, and then ask them to complete the first part of the Using Evidence to Build Arguments worksheet up through the section which asks them to identify who would create or collect the evidence. At that point, ask for a few volunteers, go over their worksheets as a class and work together to answer the question of where the evidence would be published. Then have students work in groups to complete the last section (where the evidence would be published) of their worksheets. Now that they are ready to begin finding the evidence, review keyword brainstorming using the Wal-Mart example. With the instructor station, use the words you brainstormed to review Academic Search Complete and Academic OneFile not limited to viewpoints. Discuss some of the results you get and how they might be used as evidence. Then briefly introduce Polling the Nations. Ask everyone to find one piece of evidence they identified on their worksheet or, for a take home exercise, ask them to find and cite 2-3 articles or pieces of evidence they found which they identified in the worksheet. You can give them or point them to the How to Find Public Opinion (Polls & Surveys) Guide as a resource.

• Note: The last two questions on the worksheet will probably be very difficult for freshmen to answer. These questions push them to create a more comprehensive research plan than they probably usually create and think about the nature and cycle of information.
• Note: You can split this up over a few sessions by having them work through the first part of the Evidence worksheet as a take-home exercise, and then spending time in class doing group work to determine where information would be published, reviewing keywords and databases and having them find one piece of evidence they identified.

5.  Suggested Resources/Databases

• See the Scholarly Articles section, the Books section, the Public Opinion section, the Statistics secion and the Find Information about Local Issues section.