Tips for Using Evidence
On this page:
- Why do I need evidence?
- What counts as evidence?
- Where do I find evidence?
- When do I use evidence?
- How do I use evidence?
- Suggested reading
Your academic writing should be based on evidence from appropriate sources. It should draw on existing literature and be used effectively in your writing to support the argument that you construct. This page provides an overview of why, what, where, when and how of evidence.
Why do I need evidence?
- To provide background information, this could include a definition of terminology or key concepts related to the subject you are writing about.
- To link your writing to what has already been researched and reported on.
- To support the points you make and strengthen your argument.
- To make links and synthesise a variety of sources in your writing.
You will need to evidence your reading and use of sources through clear citations and a reference list. Have a look at our guide on referencing for more information.
What counts as evidence?
The evidence you use to support your writing will depend on your subject area and the assignment task you have been set. You may have been guided by your lecturers to read certain book chapters or articles. You may also undertake your own research and find a wider range of sources that could include statistics, government documents, professional reports, or conference proceedings.
You will need to make informed decisions about the reliability and relevance of the information you use as evidence to support your writing.
Have a look at our page on academic sources for more information
Where do I find evidence?
You will need to search in a variety of places to find relevant information. As suggested in this guide, where we search for information will depend on what you need it for. You may have to search more than once, in different places using different techniques.
You will probably be encouraged to use sources that are considered ‘academic’ or ‘scholarly’. This means that you need to find reliable sources, usually published in journals or academic textbooks.
Your reading list is a good place to start with relevant sources, this could include books, journal articles and recommended websites.
You will also be expected to find relevant sources yourself. You can use Resource Finder (Library Catalogue) to search for academic material purchased by Wrexham University.
You may also need to search online for additional information. If searching online you will need to think about whether the information is appropriate – relevant, credible, suitable – for your assignment.
When do I use evidence?
You use evidence to give substance to your ideas and to strengthen the points that you make in your writing. You use evidence to build a critical argument.
How you do this will depend on how you structure your paragraph, and how you use the evidence you have carefully selected to support your argument.
An example of how you could structure your writing to incorporate evidence effectively can be found on our Tips for Structure guide.
You may incorporate evidence through using quotations, summarising, paraphrasing or synthesising evidence. Have a look at the box below for more information.
Whenever you refer to an original source (evidence), or draw on someone else's ideas or theory in your writing you will need to include a citation. For more information on citations have a look at our guide on referencing.
How do I use evidence?
A quotation is an unchanged phrase, sentence or larger piece of text from an original source. It is when you include the direct words from a text in your own writing.
Short quotations must be included in quotation marks and include a citation.
For example:
"A quotation is an unchanged phrase, sentence of larger piece of text" (Godfrey, 2013, p.51).
Quotes are only used if you need to use the exact words from an original source, from a poem or literary work, for example, or if the author has used language in a unique or powerful way.
You should avoid over use of quotes in your academic writing as this does not demonstrate a critical approach to the subject.
Summarising is a necessary skill to show evidence of your research and showcase your understanding of the key outcomes of a study.
The important aspect of summarising is that you are able to identify the elements of the original source that are relevant to your work and make the connections.
Steps to success:
- Read and assess – what is this source telling me?
- Make notes in your own words to help you understand and process the information. Aim to keep it brief.
- Make a note of your source (in-text and full details for your reference list).
- You can use this to demonstrate your understanding of an argument/theory/approach.
Closely linked with referencing, the ability to paraphrase what you read is an essential skill. When you paraphrase, you are showing your marker that you have been able to interpret and understand someone else's work and express this in your own words.
Rather than copying and pasting a whole sentence or sentences into your academic work, you must put this into your own words, thinking about how this relates to the topic you are writing about. Here is an example:
This is an exert from a book by Adams published in 2017.
It is common for students to change a few words from the original text like this:
Plagiarism is regularly reported as a growing problem in universities. Significant academic research has looked at the subject of students’ plagiarism and how it should be managed.
This is not paraphrasing, and it may be picked up by the similarity checker.
Instead, the pick out the key point from Adams' work. It could be paraphrased like this:
A recurring theme in academia is how the escalating issue of students’ plagiarism can be addressed by universities (Adams, 2017).
Suggested Reading
