In response to WR121 Participation Assignment 2, this memo will instruct WR121 students how to consider which evidence to use when writing academic papers. This memo is covers the three main steps in the evidence retrieval process: figuring out what counts for evidence in academic essays, finding credible evidence to support a claim (thesis), and citing the evidence correctly in a paper.
Identifying Credible Evidence.
Evidence is nothing unless it can be deemed credible. After reviewing several resources on academic evidence, there are three main qualities that will lead one to believe that their evidence is credible and reliable. First, "Appraise a source by first examining the bibliographic citation Bibliographic citations characteristically have three main components: author, title, and publication information. These components can help you determine the usefulness of this source for your paper" (Ormondroyd). Even after analyzing a source and bibliography of a piece, due to the unmonitored and unregulated nature of the world wide web, when finding credible sources online a writer must always find the "need to cultivate the habit of healthy skepticism, of questioning everything you find with critical thinking" (Regents). .
In addition to evaluating a bibliographic citation of a document, a writer must "get your hands on the most reliable and most detailed evidence available" (Humble 83). This means that credible evidence is easiest to find at the deepest levels of research, such as government sources and specialized journals.
Finding Credible Evidence .
Although knowing what constitutes credible evidence is important, knowing where to look for credible research is just as critical. Humble says that "Scholarly writers are the most credible because they are both knowledgeable about their field – the way that a paid professional is – and they're trained in methods of testing and gathering evidence within that field" (83).