Synthesize Ideas

Statistical analysis of current trends

Expert opinions from contemporary scholars

Primary source documents from the period being studied

Predictions based on current data models

By dismissing all other forms of evidence.

By aligning with authority to back up your claims.

By confusing the audience with complex terminology.

By presenting opinions as irrefutable facts.

Information that contradicts the research question.

Anything that backs up your claims.

Only numerical data and statistics.

Personal opinions unrelated to the research topic.

A research paper

A book

A video

A monograph

Selecting evidence that supports multiple claims.

Selecting only the evidence that supports your claim while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Selecting evidence from a variety of sources.

Selecting evidence that is easy to understand.

Provide a personal opinion about the concept.

Use evidence to clarify terms and ideas.

Ignore the concept and focus on examples.

Use overly technical jargon to impress the audience.

Interpretations

Inferences

Explanations

Descriptions

Reliable

Relevant

Repeatable

Researched

A blog post from an anonymous author with no citations.

A peer-reviewed article published last month in a reputable journal.

A personal anecdote from a friend.

A news article from an unreliable source.

To summarize the evidence.

To connect evidence to claims and explain its significance.

To introduce new evidence.

To distract the reader with irrelevant information.