Why You Need Evidence
Hey, did you know that ever since 1969, NASA has been secretly staffed by aliens who hitched a ride back from the moon on Apollo 11?
Probably not and you probably wouldn't believe that tall of a tale without a pretty watertight argument to back it up. In other words, you'd want some evidence, data, facts, and examples that support your point. Evidence is your answer to the reader who says, 'So wait…why should I just believe you?'
In your own writing, you might not be shocking the world with any grand conspiracy theories about Area 51 or the Illuminati, but even if you're just writing about character development in Hamlet, you'll need some evidence to back it up. In this lesson, you'll learn how to effectively use evidence in your own writing, so you can persuade a doubting reader that no, really, you're right!
What Is Evidence?
Earlier in the lesson, we defined evidence as data, facts, and examples that support your point. The type of evidence you use will depend on what kind of writing you're doing. For example, in a scientific paper, you'd use citations to other studies as evidence. In a paper for English class, you might use quotations from the text. In a standardized test essay, you'd use examples from history or literature.
As a test case to look at in more detail, let's take our NASA infiltrating aliens. Here are some pieces of evidence that could theoretically support this claim:
- During a BioScan, strange and unidentifiable life forms were detected somewhere aboard Apollo 11 as it was returning to Earth.
- Leaked security footage from NASA buildings shows unidentified green humanoid objects moving around.
- Independent observers have identified strange transmissions in an alien language being sent between NASA headquarters and the moon.
If a writer could persuade you that all these things were true, you'd probably be much more open to believing that little green men are at least up to something at NASA. That's the power of evidence.