Evaluating the evidence an author uses to support their argument
Maya King
6 min read
Study Guide Overview
This AP Research study guide covers evaluating evidence, focusing on context (time, purpose, situation), sourcing and credibility, data misrepresentation, and the purposes of evidence. It explains how to analyze evidence's role in supporting claims and identify potential biases. The guide also includes practice questions covering multiple-choice, short-answer, and free-response formats.
#AP Research: Evaluating Evidence - Your Night-Before Guide 🚀
Hey there, future AP Research rockstar! Let's get you prepped and confident for tomorrow's exam. We're diving into how to critically evaluate evidence, making sure you can spot the good stuff and avoid the traps. Remember, this is about understanding, not just memorizing. Let's make it stick!
#1. The Essence of Evidence
#What Exactly is Evidence? 🤔
Evidence is anything used to support a claim. It's super broad! Think:
- Facts & Data: Numbers, stats, and hard information.
- Observations: What you've seen or noticed.
- Predictions: Educated guesses about the future.
- Analogies: Comparisons to explain ideas.
- Explanations: How things work or why they happen.
- Opinions: Expert viewpoints or personal beliefs.
It's not about whether something is evidence, but whether it's good evidence.
#Context and Situation: The Big Picture 🖼️
An argument's context (time and purpose) and situation (in relation to other arguments) are key to understanding its evidence.
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Time: When was the argument made? Historical context matters!
- Outdated evidence can sink an argument. ⚓
- Example: Using 1950s data on social media usage is a no-go!
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Purpose: What's the goal of the argument? To persuade? To inform? To sell?
- Authors choose evidence to fit their purpose. Be aware of potential bias.
- Example: A company's study on its own product might be biased.
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Situation: How does this argument fit into the larger academic conversation?
- Think: Wh...
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