Finding evidence to support main points

1. Types of Evidence
FROM THE WRITING CENTER
@ THE A.R.C.

2. Why Do You Need Evidence?
In certain types of papers, like persuasive and argumentative papers for example, a stance must
be taken, and evidence will be needed to support your stance.
It reinforces main ideas and connects your stance with real life examples and facts.
Most importantly, it strengthens your paper’s stance.

3. Examples
Evidence can take many forms. For example:
 illustrations, like a graph or chart can be used.
 A quote from an article.
 An excerpt from a book.
 Even statistics or percentages.

4. When and How to incorporate evidence
When you cannot find the right words to express the point you are trying to convey.
When you need to show the consequences of your stance, pros and cons, etc.
When you are not sure if the reader understands the topic you are discussing.
When incorporating any kind of evidence, make sure to check
out our Citation PowerPoint so that you don’t accidentally
plagiarize!

5. What Not to Do
Do not assume your evidence speaks for itself. Always explain its significance.
When using illustrations as evidence, make sure to explain the connection to your thesis.
Graphs can be pretty, but be careful not to add anything that would take away from your
main point.
Adding in a lot of personal experiences (some professors may not want personal experiences
at all.)

6. Other Sources to Check Out
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/evidence/
https://www.shoreline.edu/doldham/101/HTML/Types%20of%20Evidence.html
https://valenciacollege.edu/wp/cssc/documents/TypesofEvidenceinPersuasiveFINAL.pdf