2.2 Evaluating Evidence Supporting Claims

• What is a claim in an argument?

  A statement of belief
• The purpose of a claim is to persuade or inform
• Match the type of claim with its purpose or characteristic:

  Factual ↔️ Based on verifiable evidence

  Definitional ↔️ Clarifies the meaning of a term

  Causal ↔️ Explains cause-and-effect

  Value ↔️ Expresses opinion about quality
• A value claim expresses a judgment about the worth or morality of something.


  True
• Match the type of claim with its characteristic:

  Factual ↔️ Verifiable evidence

  Definitional ↔️ Clarifies term meaning

  Causal ↔️ Identifies cause-and-effect

  Value ↔️ Expresses moral judgment
• Fact-based evidence is based on objective, verifiable information.


  True
• Arrange the factors influencing source credibility from most to least significant:

  1️⃣ Expertise

  2️⃣ Objectivity

  3️⃣ Currency

  4️⃣ Relevance
• Currency in a source refers to how up-to-date the information is.


  True
• What is the primary difference between a claim and an opinion?

  Evidence and reasoning
• A claim is based on evidence and logic, while an opinion is based on personal preference.

  True
• Match the type of claim with its purpose:

  Factual ↔️ Establish truth or falsity

  Definitional ↔️ Define term or concept

  Causal ↔️ Explain cause-effect

  Value ↔️ Make judgment about worth

  Policy ↔️ Propose course of action
• A value claim expresses an opinion about the quality or merit of something.


  True
• What is the key distinction between fact-based and opinion-based evidence?

  Objective vs. subjective
• Objectivity in a source refers to the degree of bias or impartiality
• What is an example of relevant evidence for the claim that climate change is primarily caused by human activities?

  Greenhouse gas emissions
• Evidence from an independent research group is likely less biased than evidence from a lobbying organization.


  True
• What are the key factors to consider when evaluating the quality and objectivity of evidence?

  Credibility, accuracy, bias
• Evidence from a lobbying organization is likely to have less bias than evidence from an independent research group.

  False
• Potential biases or inaccuracies in evidence can undermine its reliability.
• What is selection bias in evidence presentation?

  Ignoring contradictory evidence
• What type of error involves statistical mistakes in data interpretation?

  Analytical errors
• A claim differs from an opinion because it is backed by evidence and reasoning.
• How many main types of claims are there in an argument?

  Five
• What distinguishes fact-based evidence from opinion-based evidence?

  Objectivity vs subjectivity
• Opinion-based evidence cannot be definitively proven true or false.


  True
• Expertise in a source refers to the author's knowledge, qualifications, and experience on the topic.
• Why is currency important when evaluating source credibility?

  Provides recent and relevant data
• Credible sources provide the most recent and relevant data
• Evaluating source credibility helps determine whether evidence is strong enough to support a claim.


  True
• Insufficient evidence may raise questions or leave gaps
• Highly relevant evidence has a direct and clear connection to the claim.

  True
• Multiple credible studies can provide sufficient evidence for a causal link
• What does 'Accuracy' refer to when assessing evidence quality?

  Factual correctness of evidence
• What is 'Source bias' in evidence evaluation?

  Vested interest of the source
• Analytical errors refer to statistical mistakes in data interpretation.


  True
• Data collection errors may arise from issues with sampling, measurement, or recording
• Critically evaluating the quality and objectivity of evidence is essential to determine its reliability

  True
• What does relevance refer to when evaluating evidence?

  Connection to the claim
• Assessing the quality and objectivity of evidence involves evaluating its credibility, accuracy, and bias
• Why is accuracy important in evaluating evidence?

  Ensures factual correctness