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Evaluating Arguments by Assessing Evidence

An argument is strong if solid scientific evidence supports that argument. However, not all sources of

evidence are created equal. To evaluate the quality of the evidence source, the audience should take

into consideration the researcher's authority and whether the source is peer-reviewed. It might also be

necessary to analyze the evidence source directly to gauge its quality.

It is often convenient to make an initial judgement of the quality of the scientific evidence by referring

to the authority of the researcher. This authority depends on a few tangible factors, namely the

researcher's expertise, the body which he or she is part of or represents, and the researcher's track

record of integrity. These aspects are important because they contribute to the audience's confidence in

the evidence source. For example, it is easier to believe the evidence reported by a professor of

Science, who has dedicated years of research at a university, than to take the word of individuals

without a scientific background or a scientist discredited for fraudulent practices. Although not

decisive, the authority behind the evidence source is a good indication of its credibility.

The next step in assessing the quality of evidence is to check if the source report is peer-reviewed. The

logic behind this is that if a number of authorities in the field reviewed and accepted the research paper,

the research is likely to have adhered to proper scientific methods of inquiry. The process of assigning

reviewers to papers is usually done by established academic journals hence the association between

quality research and being published in those journals. John Bohannon's much critiqued bogus research

paper sting on the open access publishers, many who do not practice proper peer review policies,

demonstrated that false evidence is easily fabricated and published if peer review is not practiced

properly. Nonetheless, it is being peer-reviewed that is the sign of trustworthiness, not prestigious

publication.

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For the expert audience, critical examination of the source report is the best way to gauge its quality.

One aspect, among many, to look out for is proper method of data collection and management. For

example, without plunging into too much details, in the paper Electrolyzed-Reduced Water Protects

Against Oxidative Damage to DNA, RNA and Protein, published in the peer-reviewed journalApplied

Biochemistry and Biotechnology, a set of quantitative data, which includes information about the

control as well as the uncertainty in each measurement, was used to support the paper's thesis. The

meticulous treatment of the data indicates the rigorousness of the research effort and this translates to

credibility and usefulness as evidence.

In conclusion, an argument draws its strength from the soundness of the scientific evidence supporting

it. The evidence is not all there is to an argument, but it is the foundation. Therefore, by assessing the

evidence, the audience is able to make better evaluation of arguments.