Determining the Credibility of Evidence

Introduction

Definition of the Toulmin Method

Why Use the Toulmin Method?

Anticipated Objections and Rebuttal

Drawing Conclusions

Toulmin Worksheet

Toulmin Demonstration

Read Example Student Argument

Analyze the Claim

Analyze the Reasons

Analyze the Evidence

Analyze the Anticipated Objections and Rebuttal

Draw Conclusions from a Toulmin Analysis

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Determining the Credibility of Evidence

It is important to decide how credible (believable and authoritative) a piece of evidence is within an argument. As you look at the evidence supporting a reason, ask yourself whether or not this evidence matches with readers' experience of the world. If it doesn't, does the evidence come from a source that readers would accept as more knowledgeable or authoritative than they are?

Hide Example

If one reason given in an argument is
On the university level, argument is valued by professors of various disciplines who say that they would like for their students to be able to take a strong position and support it with ample reasons and evidence, statistics taken from The National Inquirer and given in support of this reason will typically be much less credible than ones taken from The Journal of Higher Education.