Evaluating Sources of Evidence

  • Intuition
    • "Common sense" or "gut feeling"
  • Authorities and Testimonials
    • Why should we believe?
    • Expertise or training?
    • Relatively free of distorting influences?
  • Characteristics that don't guarantee value of authority
    • Age
    • Publication
    • Status
  • Personal Experiences
    • Representative or Unique?
  • Personal Observations
    • Selective perception
    • The tricks of memory
  • Case Studies and Examples
    • Demonstrate possibilities or striking examples!
  • Research Studies
    • Quality
    • Replication
    • Research supports but does not prove conclusions
    • Accurately reported/described in secondary literature
    • Research "facts" change over time
    • "Real world" applications
  • Analogies
    • The number of similarities and differences
    • The relevance of the similarities and differences
    • The significance of the similarities and differences

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School of Journalism and Communication