Who Says?

Including Evidence to Support a Thesis Statement

Evidence in an Academic Argument

An academic argument is really just one part of a larger ongoing conversation on a certain topic among researchers, scholars, and practitioners. The term evidence is often associated with the legal system. Law enforcement and lawyers use evidence in a case to support their argument that some is or is not guilty of a crime. The writer of an academic argument uses evidence in much the same way but for a different purpose; rather than proving someone’s innocence or guilt, academic writers use evidence to show that their point of view on a topic is the best way for thinking about or acting upon a specific topic.

To persuade a reader that your argument is not only plausible but ideal, you draw from the ideas of others. In a way, it’s like saying, “See, the data collected from this scholar’s study suggests that my approach to addressing this topic is preferable.”

Integrating Evidence

Evidence can be included in an argument in several ways, namely through a summary, a paraphrase, or a direct quote. It’s up to you as the writer to determine which strategy would be the most persuasive for your reader.

Regardless of if you summarize, paraphrase, or directly quote a source, you want to clearly separate a source’s words from your own; there should be no question about what idea belongs to you and what idea belongs to a source. The most efficient way to do this is to introduce a source with a clear signal phrase and end your use of a source with a parenthetical citation.

Example

• According to Gallagher, writers should account for algorithms when they write for online spaces (25).
• In her book Algorithms of Oppression (2018), Safiya Noble argues that search engines like Google reinforce racist stereotypes (p. 12).