sp 211 ch. 8 Supporting Your Ideas (Evidence)

Supporting Materials to Support Your Ideas

• Examples

• Statistics

• Testimonies

Example

A specific case to illustrate an idea.

• Brief

• Extended

• Hypotheical

Brief Example

A specific case referred to in passing to illustrate a point/idea

Extended Example

A story, narrative, an/or anecdote developed at length to illustrate a point/idea

Hypothetical Example

An example describing a fictitious situation (but realistic)—best with statistical or testimonial evidence

Tips for Examples

• Personalize ideas

• Reinforce ideas

• Make vivid, richly textured examples

• Practice your delivery to enhance the example

Statistical Measures

• Mean

• Median

• Mode

• Used to emphasize the seriousness/importance of an issue

Tips for Statistics

• Use to quantify ideas (tell the audience what it means)

• Use sparingly (if used too much, loses impact)

• Identify sources

• Explain thoroughly (can be easily manipulated & distorted)

• Round off long decimals

• Use visual aids if needed (graphs, charts, diagrams, etc.)

Testimony

Quotations or paraphrases used to support a point.

• Expert

• Peer

• Direct Quote

• Professional

Expert Testimony

Testimony from recognized experts

Peer Testimony

Testimony from ordinary people with firsthand experience/insight

Direct Quote

A testimony presented word for word

Out-of-Context Quote

Distorting statements by removing words or phrases around it

Paraphrase

Restating a source’s ideas in your own words

Tips for Testimony

• Quote & paraphrase accurately

• Use qualified sources

• Use unbiased sources

• Identify sources

Citing Sources Orally

• Name of document

• Author/Sponsoring organization

• Qualifications

• Date