Week 8 - Evaluation Sources of Evidence

Week 8

Evaluation Sources of Evidence

            On this week lecture, I learn about how to evaluate sources of evidence and what is the source of evidence. There are many evidence that you found are related to whatever you are talking about. But are all of it valid and can be used in a statement? Not all of them. So, in these I learn about how to know whether your evidence that you choose can be use or not in an argument.

            There are primary source and secondary source. A primary source is sources that are originate from the time and place of the events being investigated. For example, letters, documents, newspapers that are published at that time, and testimonies of witnesses. A secondary source is sources that are written or produced about the event sometime later. For example, books, articles, web pages, and documentaries.

            To search for evidence, there are few things that you have to consider before you take it as your evidence. First is the authenticity and validity. You have to make sure that the evidence is true and valid. There are so many invalid evidences nowadays. Next is currency and reliability. Source must be in still relevant in the present. You also must be sure that the source of evidence is reliable and can be trusted.  There is also relevant and irrelevant evidence. You must know how to differentiate between these two. Relevant evidence is that which is necessary to give good understanding of the issues.

            Lastly, I’m going to talk about a good generalization. We are generalising if we conclude that a claim is true about a group (or population) based on what we find out about some part of the group (or a sample). A generalization is good when the sample is big enough, representative, and studied well.