English 104English 104Support and Evidence

Academic ArgumentAcademic ArgumentMuch of the writing that you will do

in college is academic discourse or academic argument◦Your essays should be academic

argumentative essays◦Your essays should NOT be:

Expository essays Creative writing pieces

Do not insert short creative writing stories into your essay

Personal reflective writing (like a diary/journal) “I really liked Sam Harris’ talk, ‘Science Can Answer

Moral Questions.’ I thought it was so interesting and it really moved me. It reminded me of when…”

Academic ArgumentAcademic ArgumentBased on research and uses evidence

that can be documentedthat can be documented◦Avoid using hypothetical examples

Written for a professional, academic audience likely to already know about the topic◦Avoid extensive summaries of the topic

Uses formal, objective, and technical style◦Avoid first and second person narration◦Avoid colloquial, conversational writing

Is documented using a professional citation style (i.e. MLA Citation Style)

Finding EvidenceFinding EvidenceBefore writing your essay, find

evidence to support your claim, such as:◦Newspaper articles◦Journal articles◦Textbooks◦Surveys◦Statistics

Finding EvidenceFinding EvidenceLibrary

◦ Textbooks, magazines, encyclopedias◦ Databases:

Often contain information that’s not publicly available on the Internet

Libraries pay to subscribe to scholarly databases of journal and magazine articles Academic Search Complete, Academic OneFile,

JSTOR, etc.

Finding EvidenceFinding EvidenceOnline

◦Carefully evaluate online sources for credibility

◦Many news and journal articles are now online: The New York Times Los Angeles Times BBC The Guardian Psychology Today Monitor on Psychology National Geographic

Evaluating SourcesEvaluating SourcesThe effectiveness of an argument often

depends on the quality of the sources that support it

Check:◦ The credentials of the author

Does the author have the appropriate credentials and background?

How might the author’s background influence his/her stance on the issue?

◦ Credentials of the publisher/sponsor Is the publication from a well-established and

reputable publisher, magazine, or journal?◦ Currency

When was the book or article written? Is the information still current and relevant?

Using SourcesUsing SourcesDifferent sources can contribute in

different ways to your work◦Usually, you’ll be looking for reliable

sources with accurate information to serve as evidence (newspaper articles, scientific studies, surveys, statistics, etc.)

◦Occasionally, you might want to incorporate material that expresses popular ideas or attitudes (blogs, brochures, tabloids, music lyrics, etc.) in order to discuss social perception

Using SourcesUsing Sources Incorporating non-academic sources

◦ It’s best to use credible external sources (newspaper articles, scientific journals, studies, etc.) as evidence to support your claim

◦ However, occasionally non-academic sources can be appropriate depending on the context

◦ Example: Sam Harris takes the view that it is “wrong to force [ ]

wives and daughters to live in cloth bags.” But morality is relative. What Harris perceives as ‘wrong’ is viewed as ‘right’ by others, for “[w]e’re in a society thats [sic] obsessed with nudity. This is probably why Hijab is obligated” (Nyx). Many in the Muslim community hold such beliefs regarding the moral correctness of mandatory veiling. Nyx (_hoosh_). “We’re in a society thats obsessed with nudity. This

is probably why Hijab is obligated." 15 Mar. 2014, 11:22 a.m. Tweet.

A tweet from Twitter is used as evidence of someone’s views on the issue.

Using SourcesUsing SourcesAfter you have gathered

evidence from appropriate sources, think about how you will incorporate the evidence into the body of your essay◦Figure out how the evidence

supports your specific claims◦In your essay, articulate exactly how

the evidence relates to and supports your thesis statement

Works CitedWorks CitedHarris, Sam. “Science Can Answer Moral Questions.”

TED. Long Beach Performing Arts Center, Long Beach, CA, USA. 11 Feb. 2010. Conference Presentation.

Nyx (_hoosh_). “We’re in a society thats obsessed with

nudity. This is probably why Hijab is obligated." 15 Mar. 2014, 11:22 a.m. Tweet.