EOC A: Evaluation of Evidence Use Question

Question 3 for EOC part A asks the following:

3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the evidence the author uses to support the claims made in the argument.

Ultimately you are being asked with determining: HOW effectively does the author use evidence to support their argument/line of reasoning?

We will continue to follow the advice from AP Seminar Instructor Lou Pompilii as we learn how to answer this question.

How to Answer Q3

Attempt to address 3 pieces of evidence in this section. You may decide to select one piece of evidence for each claim that you identified in Q2.

The author uses [insert piece of evidence - data, quote, expert opinion] to support their claim that ________________________.
The study found that …
This evidence is credible because [insert why this evidence is credible - from a publication, scientific study, quote from an expert in the field, etc.]
Does the evidence provide adequate support for the claim? Consider:
- Vagueness about sample size or research methods, mistaking correlation for causation, overgeneralization of conclusions, a gap between what the article claims the study shows and what the study actually examined, etc.

Sample template:
- Aligning with their first claim, the author begins the article with a [insert piece of evidence - data, quote, expert opinion] from the [insert name of publication, research institution, expert, university, etc].
- [Explain the evidence and how it helps the author to prove the claim to which you’re referring].
- [Explain what makes the research credible - how recently was it published? From which institution? In which publication - ie. academic journal?] Use skepticism.
- The evidence that the author uses inadequate because… / is inadequate due to the fact that… [discuss any flaws in evidence]

Example from 2018 high scoring example:

Introduce the piece of evidence by explaining the claim with which it aligns (refer to Q2 for claims)- “Aligning with her first claim, Paul opens her article with a 2006 study from the scientific journal, Neuro Image, to support the idea that sensory words can bring about the same neurological response as the five senses can in real life.”
Explain the evidence - “The study tested multiple subjects, using an imaging machine to measure how stimulated a person’s brain was upon hearing different sensory or non-sensory words.”
Address credibility of evidence - “The research provided appears to be somewhat credible, with a relatively recent date (2006) and a relevant source, a scientific magazine.”

Don't Forget icon

Use skepticism if appropriate - “However, the article does not give any information as to who conducted the study, only specifying that the scientists were in ‘Spain.’ Identifying an organization or institute can improve credibility.”

Want more information?

You can watch this video from Justin Galusha to find out more about answering this question.

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INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS COURTESY OF LOU POMPILII