6 Working with Evidence

Use source material responsibly

Academic arguments depend on evidence, but a source does not speak for itself. Writers select material that can support a claim, represent it accurately, and explain how it supports the point they are making.

Borrowed ideas require citation whether they are quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. A quotation must match the source exactly, and citation details depend on the source and the style required for the assignment.

Quote, paraphrase, or summarize

These methods serve different purposes:

• Quoting reproduces a source’s exact words. Use it when the wording itself matters, such as when analyzing a phrase, preserving a precise definition, or examining a speaker’s language. Introduce the quotation, use quotation marks or the required block format, and cite it.

• Paraphrasing restates a specific idea in your own words and sentence structure, usually at roughly the same level of detail as the original. Read until you understand the passage, set it aside while drafting, and then compare your version with the source to check its accuracy and distinct wording. Cite the idea.

• Summarizing condenses a longer work or section into its central point or points. Use it to provide context or describe a source’s overall argument, and cite the source.

Avoid Patchwriting: keeping much of a source’s phrasing while making only small substitutions. If you are unsure about citation format, follow the style required for the assignment.

A shared example

Suppose a fictional study reports that students who took short movement breaks during class stayed on task more often than students in a comparison group.

• Quote: The researchers describe the breaks as “brief pauses for movement” (Lee and Patel 18).

• Paraphrase: Lee and Patel found that students assigned short activity breaks were more consistently engaged than those in the comparison group (18).

• Summary: The study suggests that brief classroom activity breaks may support students’ attention (Lee and Patel).

The example citation is illustrative; citation details depend on the source and the required style.

Choose evidence carefully

Choose evidence for its Relevance, Credibility, Accuracy, and Sufficiency, not merely because it agrees with your position. These considerations help you judge whether evidence is appropriate to the claim and how much it can establish.

• Relevance: Ask whether the evidence supports this specific claim. For example, a source about general exercise may not establish the effect of a particular classroom policy.

• Credibility: Consider the author’s expertise, the publication or publisher, the evidence and methods presented, and the source’s purpose. What counts as strong evidence varies by discipline and question.

• Accuracy: Check the original context, qualifications, and limitations. Do not make a cautious finding sound conclusive.

• Sufficiency: Ask whether there is enough evidence. A single example may illustrate a point but cannot necessarily establish a broader pattern. Use additional evidence when needed, and acknowledge meaningful limitations or contrary findings.

Connect evidence to a claim

Evidence becomes persuasive when readers can follow the reasoning that links it to the writer’s claim. A useful paragraph pattern moves from a claim to context, evidence, and analysis:

1. Claim: State the point the paragraph will establish.

2. Context: Identify the source or situation so readers know what the evidence concerns.

3. Evidence: Quote, paraphrase, summarize, or present relevant data, with an appropriate citation.

4. Analysis: Explain what the evidence shows and why it supports the claim. Address what it does—and does not—prove.

For example, a paragraph might claim that short activity breaks may help students sustain attention during class. It could then identify a fictional classroom study in which Lee and Patel found that students assigned brief breaks stayed on task more often than students in a comparison group (18). The writer’s analysis can explain that this difference supports the claim that movement breaks can contribute to classroom engagement, while recognizing that the study alone does not show that breaks improve learning in every setting.

Analysis is essential: without it, evidence can feel like a list of facts.

Relate multiple sources

When using several sources, explain how they relate. They may agree, differ, or address different parts of the question. Draw out what those relationships mean for your argument.

Across the argument, cite borrowed ideas, choose evidence that is credible and relevant, and explain explicitly how each piece supports the claim and how far it supports it.