A Practical Guide to Evidence-Based Writing

A Practical Guide to Evidence-Based Writing

The newly redesigned SAT is the latest example of the need for students to skillfully communicate evidence-based ideas across content areas. The need for that skill continues throughout higher education. It could be regarded as a“gatekeeper skill” that not only plays a large role in determining college admissions and success, but continues to do so through graduate school.

The essay on the new SAT asks students: “As you read the passage below, consider how [the author] uses evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.” This is very similar to a Common Core Writing Standard for high schoolers, which asks students to “write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.” I strongly advise you, as graduate students, to practice and develop these skills, and continue to do so throughout your graduate training and your life. Use it as part of what you have to do to write a compelling graduate student paper. Your objective is to write a compelling paper in your own words (and avoid plagiarizing other people’s expressions).

The following 10 strategies might be helpful to you in learning how to skillfully write about evidence.

1. Selection. To make it easier to think about evidence, mark the top two sentences in a paper that best capture it’s message. See if you can explain to yourself why you chose those sentences, what they mean to you, and what message the author is trying to convey. In this seemingly simple task, you evaluate and differentiate evidence, justify why you made the selection, analyze the quotation, and create an idea of your own based on these thoughts.

1. Validity. Evaluate various types of evidence, examine what makes evidence valid in proving an idea. You can select evidence from the paper to prove an idea. Or you can find and evaluate your own researched sources to determine the credibility of the source and author, the purpose of the text, and any existing biases. You can sequence evidence or sources from most to least effective, providing rationales for their ideas, or you can rate the strength of validity on a scale of level 3-definitely, level 2-somewhat, or level 1-nonexistent. Then think about how you could justify your ratings with peers or the class to defend your scores.

1. Sufficiency. In the same way, you can determine what makes for sufficient evidencein your readings (or in your writing and life). You might evaluate legislation, court cases, or pro/con issues that apply to a given subject area, and then examine how much valid evidence is needed to vote for or against something. You might also apply the need for valid evidence to your own lives, and examine questions like: How much (valid) proof do I need to hear in order to believe ______(e.g., health claim for some new product?

1. Ideas. Creating valid ideas involves understanding and addressing selected sentences. You could initially highlight key words in the selected sentence, paying special attention to the verbs in the prompt. Then number or list the different ideas the prompt sentence suggests. You then can examine, sort, and classify your evidence to create your own ideas. To do this, you could develop a coding system to label the evidence about one topic in one color and another topic in another color. You might put a star next to evidence that fits one idea and a circle next to the ones that fit another. Or you can write out your evidence, each on a separate index card, and then group them. You then look at what the threads are between the different pieces of evidence. Do they each express a certain concept or word? What are the connections between the different types of evidence? Does the evidence address the prompt? You can try rewording the prompt sentence into a statement that includes your own idea(s).

1. Relevance. You can paraphrase both evidence and ideas to determine if they match. Or you can even do a matching “game” to pair ideas with relevant evidence. After writing, it’s also helpful for you to outline your ideas and evidence to clearly see if they are relevant to each other and the prompt.

1. Sequencing. Three ways you can try in sequencing evidence are chronologically, within order of importance, or leading and ending with your best ideas. The focus of this exercise is no the sequence you choose, but how you are thinking through sequencing your ideas.

1. Analysis. One function of analysis is elaborating on and extending the evidence as to how and why it proves your main ideas. When you look at a quotation, ask yourself, “What does/might that mean to me?” This phrasing removes the idea that there is a right answer, and allows you to freely voice your own interpretations. For variations, you can work with one quote, analyzing it in different ways. You can view samples of analysis, create analysis together in groups, use sentence starters and extenders. For stylistic flow, you can also use transitional words or create synonyms from key words of the evidence to use in your analysis.

1. Three Questions. To put it all together, you need to ask three questions in regards to your ideas, evidence, and analysis. Does it have depth? Is it relevant? Is it precise/succinct? Doing this, you can evaluate whether answers are surface level or deep, whether they directly answer the question, and whether yourwriting is specific enough to avoid generalizing or vagueness.

1. Feedback. A good rubric is a crucial part of the self-criticism process. Your own rubric should be easily accessible. It essentially includes examining the depth, relevance and precision of your ideas, and evidence, analysis, style, and organization.

1. Revision. Your writing can greatly benefit from a targeted “writing upgrade” (to the tune of Beyoncé’s song Upgrade U if you like) where incorporate feedback into your papers. You might color code each writing component (Ideas, Evidence, Analysis) to build organization and balance. Or code your writing with an “I” for where you list ideas, “E” for evidence, or “A” for analysis. You then can adjust ideas that don’t directly address the key idea of the selected sentence, examine the validity and sufficiency of evidence, or go through each analysis sentence and add depth with “why” explanations.

This might seem like a lot of work, but it is well worthwhile in the long run. Your writing skills will grow by tremendous amount.For example, before doing this, the evidence and analysis aspects might be lacking. You will read (for) and interpret the evidence and analyze it.

Adapted (with a lot of plagiarism!) from,“A Practical Guide to Evidence-Based Writing Across Subject Areas”by Linda Yaron, August 30, 2016. Retrieved September 1 from: Linda Yaron is a National Board-certified high school English teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She is also a member of the Center for Teaching Quality Collaboratory.