Claims, evidence and assumptions
Learn to separate a conclusion from the evidence and assumptions used to support it.
What you will learn
- Identify the exact claim being advanced.
- Classify information as evidence, context or assumption.
- State what further evidence would change a conclusion.
An argument is easier to evaluate when it is reduced to three parts: the claim, the evidence and the reasoning that connects them. Background facts can be relevant without proving the claim.
Core method
An argument is easier to evaluate when it is reduced to three parts: the claim, the evidence and the reasoning that connects them. Background facts can be relevant without proving the claim.
- Define the exact decision or claim before analysing detail.
- Use evidence that is relevant to the stated context.
- Record uncertainty instead of replacing it with confident wording.
Applied case
A faculty reports that attendance rose after recorded lectures were introduced and concludes that recordings caused the improvement. The timing is relevant, but timetable changes, assessment deadlines or changes in the student group could also explain the result.
Apply the method
Rewrite the conclusion so that it matches the evidence, then name one piece of information that would help distinguish between the competing explanations.
Review answer guidance
A proportionate conclusion is that attendance increased after the recordings were introduced, but causation has not been established. Useful evidence could include comparable attendance before and after the change while controlling for timetable, cohort and assessment-period differences.
Use in an assessment
Apply the method to the information provided in the task. A strong response makes its reasoning traceable and does not rely on specialist facts that are absent from the evidence.
- Read the requested outcome and constraints first.
- Eliminate responses that exceed the available evidence.
- Review whether the conclusion answers the precise question.