how to introduce text evidence in an essay example

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How to Introduce Evidence: 41 Effective Phrases & Examples

Research requires us to scrutinize information and assess its credibility. Accordingly, when we think about various phenomena, we examine empirical data and craft detailed explanations justifying our interpretations. An essential component of constructing our research narratives is thus providing supporting evidence and examples.

The type of proof we provide can either bolster our claims or leave readers confused or skeptical of our analysis. Therefore, it’s crucial that we use appropriate, logical phrases that guide readers clearly from one idea to the next. In this article, we explain how evidence and examples should be introduced according to different contexts in academic writing and catalog effective language you can use to support your arguments, examples included.

When to Introduce Evidence and Examples in a Paper

Evidence and examples create the foundation upon which your claims can stand firm. Without proof, your arguments lack credibility and teeth. However, laundry listing evidence is as bad as failing to provide any materials or information that can substantiate your conclusions. Therefore, when you introduce examples, make sure to judiciously provide evidence when needed and use phrases that will appropriately and clearly explain how the proof supports your argument.

There are different types of claims and different types of evidence in writing. You should introduce and link your arguments to evidence when you

• state information that is not “common knowledge”;
• draw conclusions, make inferences, or suggest implications based on specific data;
• need to clarify a prior statement, and it would be more effectively done with an illustration;
• need to identify representative examples of a category;
• desire to distinguish concepts; and
• emphasize a point by highlighting a specific situation.

Introductory Phrases to Use and Their Contexts

To assist you with effectively supporting your statements, we have organized the introductory phrases below according to their function. This list is not exhaustive but will provide you with ideas of the types of phrases you can use.

Although any research author can make use of these helpful phrases and bolster their academic writing by entering them into their work, before submitting to a journal, it is a good idea to let a professional English editing service take a look to ensure that all terms and phrases make sense in the given research context. Wordvice offers paper editing , thesis editing , and dissertation editing services that help elevate your academic language and make your writing more compelling to journal authors and researchers alike.

For more examples of strong verbs for research writing , effective transition words for academic papers , or commonly confused words , head over to the Wordvice Academic Resources website.

25 Best Transition Words for Providing Evidence

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

Transition words and phrases for providing evidence include “For example,”, “Evidence shows”, “A study found”, and “To demonstrate this point”.

These transition words and phrases can smooth the transition from one sentence to the next and help guide your reader, as shown below:

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. In fact, a 2021 literature review found that 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021).”

If you have an entire paragraph dedicated to outlining evidence for your argument, you may want a transition word at the start of the paragraph (see examples) that indicates to your reader that you are about to provide evidence for statements made in a previous paragraph.

Shortlist of Transition Words for Evidence

• To illustrate this point…
• As can be seen in…
• To demonstrate,…
• Evidence of this fact can be seen in…
• Proof of this point is found in…
• For instance,…
• For one thing,…
• Compelling evidence shows…
• For a case in point, readers should look no further than…
• In fact, one study finds…
• New evidence has found…
• Evidence shows…
• In view of recent evidence,…
• Notably, one study found…
• A seminal study has found…
• According to…
• In the article…
• Three separate studies have found…
• Research indicates…
• Supporting evidence shows…
• As [Author] demonstrates…
• For example,…
• A study in 2022 found…
• This argument is supported by…
• A key report on this topic uncovered…

Read Also: 6 Best Ways to Provide Evidence in an Essay

Examples of Transitions to Evidence (in Context)

1. For example…

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. For example, a 2021 literature review found that 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021).”

2. As [Author] demonstrates…

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. As Lynas et al. (2021) demonstrate, 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021).”

3. Evidence suggests…

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. Evidence from a 2021 literature review suggests that 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021).”

4. A study in 2021 found…

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. A study in 2021 found that 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021).”

5. This argument is supported by…

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. This argument is supported by a comprehensive literature review in 2021 that found that 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021).”

Transition Words for Explaining Evidence

After you have provided your evidence, it is recommended that you provide a follow-up sentence explaining the evidence, its strength, and its relevance to the reader .

In other words, you may need a subsequent transition word that moves your reader from evidence to explanation.

Some examples of transition words for explaining evidence include:

• “This evidence shows…”
• “As shown above,”
• “The relevance of this point is”
• “These findings demonstrate”
• “This evidence compellingly demonstrates”
• “These findings suggest”
• “With this information, it is reasonable to conclude”

Examples of Transition Words for Explaining Evidence (in Context)

1. “This evidence shows…”

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. As Lynas et al. (2021) demonstrate, 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021). This evidence shows that governments should take climate change very seriously.”

2. “As shown above,”

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. As Lynas et al. (2021) demonstrate, 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021). As shown above, the evidence is compelling. Governments should take climate change very seriously.”

3. “The relevance of this point is”

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. As Lynas et al. (2021) demonstrate, 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021). The relevance of this point is that the time for debate is over. Governments should take climate change very seriously.”

Writing your Paragraph

I have a very simple structure for paragraphs. It’s as follows:

• Aim for 4 to 6 sentences per paragraph
• Use a topic sentence for the first sentence
• Follow up with transition phrases that help link the topic sentence to evidence and explanations that support your topic sentence.

Sometimes people call this the TEEL paragraph: topic, evidence, explanation, linking sentence.

It looks something like this:

For more on how I teach paragraphs, watch my YouTube video below:

(You can also take my essay writing course for all my tips and tricks on essay writing!)

Other Types of Transition Words

1. Emphasis

• “This strongly suggests”
• “To highlight the seriousness of this,”
• “To emphasize this point,”

2. Addition

• “In addition,”
• “Furthermore,”
• “Moreover,”
• “Additionally,”

3. Compare and Contrast

• “By contrast,”
• “However, other evidence contradicts this.”
• “Despite this,”

Go Deeper: Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

• “Firstly”, “secondly”, “thirdly”
• “Following on from the above point,”
• “Next”, “Then”, “Finally”

5. Cause and Effect

• “As a result,”
• “This has caused…”
• “Consequently,”
• “Because of this,”
• “Due to this,”
• “The result of this”

7. Illustration and examples

• “For example,”
• “To illustrate this point,”
• “An illustrative example is…”

8. Transitioning to conclusions

• “In conclusion”
• “This essay has demonstrated”
• “Given the compelling evidence presented in this essay,”

How many are Too many Transition Words?

I generally recommend between 1 and 3 transition words per paragraph, with an average of about 2.

If you have a transition word at the start of each and every sentence, the technique becomes repetitive and loses its value.

While you should use a transition whenever you feel it is necessary and natural, it’s worth checking if you’ve over-used certain words and phrases throughout your essay.

I’ve found the best way to see if your writing has started to sound unnatural is to read it out loud to yourself.

In this process, consider:

• Removing some Transition Words: If you identify a paragraph that has a transition word at the beginning of every single sentence, remove a few so you have one at the start of the paragraph and one in the middle of the paragraph – that’s all.
• Removing Overused Words: People tend to get a single word stuck in their head and they use it over and over again. If you identify overuse of a single word, it’s best to change it up. Consider some synonyms (like some of the words and phrases listed above) to add some more variety to your language.

Related: List of Words to Start a Paragraph

Overall, transition words that show evidence can help guide your reader. They allow you to tell a smooth and logical story. They can enhance the quality of your writing and help demonstrate your command of the topic.

When transitioning from an orientation sentence to your evidence, use transition words like “For example,” and “Evidence demonstrates” to link the two sentences or paragraphs.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Green Flags in a Relationship
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Signs you're Burnt Out, Not Lazy
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Toxic Things Parents Say to their Children
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Red Flags Early in a Relationship

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How to Introduce Evidence in an Essay

Last Updated: May 5, 2024

This article was co-authored by Tristen Bonacci . Tristen Bonacci is a Licensed English Teacher with more than 20 years of experience. Tristen has taught in both the United States and overseas. She specializes in teaching in a secondary education environment and sharing wisdom with others, no matter the environment. Tristen holds a BA in English Literature from The University of Colorado and an MEd from The University of Phoenix. This article has been viewed 242,071 times.

When well integrated into your argument, evidence helps prove that you've done your research and thought critically about your topic. But what's the best way to introduce evidence so it feels seamless and has the highest impact? There are actually quite a few effective strategies you can use, and we've rounded up the best ones for you here. Try some of the tips below to introduce evidence in your essay and make a persuasive argument.

Things You Should Know

• "According to..."
• "The text says..."
• "Researchers have learned..."
• "For example..."
• "[Author's name] writes..."

Setting up the Evidence

• You can use 1-2 sentences to set up the evidence, if needed, but usually more concise you are, the better.

• For example, you may make an argument like, “Desire is a complicated, confusing emotion that causes pain to others.”
• Or you may make an assertion like, “The treatment of addiction must consider root cause issues like mental health and poor living conditions.”

• For example, you may write, “The novel explores the theme of adolescent love and desire.”
• Or you may write, “Many studies show that addiction is a mental health issue.”

Putting in the Evidence

• For example, you may use an introductory clause like, “According to Anne Carson…”, "In the following chart...," “The author states…," "The survey shows...." or “The study argues…”
• Place a comma after the introductory clause if you are using a quote. For example, “According to Anne Carson, ‘Desire is no light thing" or "The study notes, 'levels of addiction rise as levels of poverty and homelessness also rise.'"
• A list of introductory clauses can be found here: https://student.unsw.edu.au/introducing-quotations-and-paraphrases .

• For example, you may write, “In the novel, Carson is never shy about how her characters express desire for each other: ‘When they made love/ Geryon liked to touch in slow succession each of the bones of Herakles' back…’”
• Or you may write, "The study charts the rise in addiction levels, concluding: 'There is a higher level of addiction in specific areas of the United States.'"

• For example, you may write, “Carson views events as inevitable, as man moving through time like “a harpoon,” much like the fates of her characters.”
• Or you may write, "The chart indicates the rising levels of addiction in young people, an "epidemic" that shows no sign of slowing down."

• For example, you may write in the first mention, “In Anne Carson’s The Autobiography of Red , the color red signifies desire, love, and monstrosity.” Or you may write, "In the study Addiction Rates conducted by the Harvard Review...".
• After the first mention, you can write, “Carson states…” or “The study explores…”.
• If you are citing the author’s name in-text as part of your citation style, you do not need to note their name in the text. You can just use the quote and then place the citation at the end.

• If you are paraphrasing a source, you may still use quotation marks around any text you are lifting directly from the source.

• For example, you may write, “In the novel, the characters express desire for each other: ‘When they made love/ Geryon liked to touch in slow succession each of the bones of Herakles' back (Carson, 48).”
• Or you may write, "Based on the data in the graph below, the study shows the 'intersection between opioid addiction and income' (Branson, 10)."
• If you are using footnotes or endnotes, make sure you use the appropriate citation for each piece of evidence you place in your essay.

• You may also mention the title of the work or source you are paraphrasing or summarizing and the author's name in the paraphrase or summary.
• For example, you may write a paraphrase like, "As noted in various studies, the correlation between addiction and mental illness is often ignored by medical health professionals (Deder, 10)."
• Or you may write a summary like, " The Autobiography of Red is an exploration of desire and love between strange beings, what critics have called a hybrid work that combines ancient meter with modern language (Zambreno, 15)."

• The only time you should place 2 pieces of evidence together is when you want to directly compare 2 short quotes (each less than 1 line long).
• Your analysis should then include a complete compare and contrast of the 2 quotes to show you have thought critically about them both.

Analyzing the Evidence

• For example, you may write, “In the novel, Carson is never shy about how her characters express desire for each other: ‘When they made love/ Geryon liked to touch in slow succession each of the bones of Herakles' back (Carson, 48). The connection between Geryon and Herakles is intimate and gentle, a love that connects the two characters in a physical and emotional way.”
• Or you may write, "In the study Addiction Rates conducted by the Harvard Review, the data shows a 50% rise in addiction levels in specific areas across the United States. The study illustrates a clear connection between addiction levels and communities where income falls below the poverty line and there is a housing shortage or crisis."

• For example, you may write, “Carson’s treatment of the relationship between Geryon and Herakles can be linked back to her approach to desire as a whole in the novel, which acts as both a catalyst and an impediment for her characters.”
• Or you may write, "The survey conducted by Dr. Paula Bronson, accompanied by a detailed academic dissertation, supports the argument that addiction is not a stand alone issue that can be addressed in isolation."

• For example, you may write, “The value of love between two people is not romanticized, but it is still considered essential, similar to the feeling of belonging, another key theme in the novel.”
• Or you may write, "There is clearly a need to reassess the current thinking around addiction and mental illness so the health and sciences community can better study these pressing issues."

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Tristen Bonacci. Licensed English Teacher. Expert Interview. 21 December 2021.
• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/quoliterature/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/evidence/
• ↑ https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/using-evidence.html

About This Article

Before you introduce evidence into your essay, begin the paragraph with a topic sentence. This sentence should give the reader an overview of the point you’ll be arguing or making with the evidence. When you get to citing the evidence, begin the sentence with a clause like, “The study finds” or “According to Anne Carson.” You can also include a short quotation in the middle of a sentence without introducing it with a clause. Remember to introduce the author’s first and last name when you use the evidence for the first time. Afterwards, you can just mention their last name. Once you’ve presented the evidence, take time to explain in your own words how it backs up the point you’re making. For tips on how to reference your evidence correctly, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Unit 4: Fundamentals of Academic Essay Writing

30 Steps for Integrating Evidence

A step-by-step guide for including your “voice”.

To integrate evidence, you need to introduce it, paraphrase (or quote in special circumstances), and then connect the evidence to the topic sentence. Below are the steps for “ICE” or the “hamburger analogy.”

Step 1 Introducing evidence: the top bun or “I”

A sentence of introduction before the paraphrase helps the reader know what evidence will follow. You want to provide a preview for the reader of what outside support you will use.

• Example from the model essay: (“I”/top bun) Peer review can increase a student’s interest and confidence in writing. (“C”/meat) Rather than relying on the teacher, the student is actively involved in the writing process (Bijami et al., 2013, p. 94).
• Notice how the introduction of increasing interest and confidence provides a hint of the evidence that will follow; it links to the idea of becoming a more independent and engaged learner.

Step 2 Paraphrasing and citing evidence: the meat or “C”

Typically, in academic writing, you will not simply paraphrase a single sentence; instead, you will often summarize information from more than one sentence – you will read a section of text, such as a part of a paragraph, a whole paragraph, or even more than one paragraph, and you will extract and synthesize information from what you have read. This means you will summarize that information and cite it.

Paraphrase/summarize the evidence and then include a citation with the following information (A more detailed explanation of documentation, including citations, can be found in Unit 44: Documentation.

• The author’s last name (but if you do not know the author’s name, use the article title).
• The publication date.
• The page number.

Formats for introducing evidence (when you know the author)

• Gambino (2015) explains how social networks help foster personal connections (p. 1).
• According to Gambino (2015), social networks help foster personal connections (p. 1).
• Social networks help foster personal connections (Gambino, 2015, p. 1).

Formats for introducing evidence (when you the author is unknown)

• Several tips for college success are explained (“Preparing for College,” 2015, p. 2).
• Example from the model essay: Rather than relying on the teacher, the student is actively involved in the writing process (Bijami et al., 2013, p. 94).
• Here we can see a paraphrase, not a direct quotation, with proper citation format.

Step 3 Connecting evidence: the bottom bun or “E”

In this step, you must explain the significance of the evidence and how it relates to your topic sentence or to previously mentioned information in the paragraph or essay. This connecting explanation could be one or more sentences. This “bottom bun” is NOT a paraphrase; instead, it is your explanation of why you chose the evidence and how it supports your own ideas.

• Example from the model essay: (“I”/top bun) Peer review can increase a student’s interest and confidence in writing . (“C”/meat) Rather than relying on the teacher, the student is actively involved in the writing process (Bijami et al., 2013, p. 94) . (“E”/bottom bun) As students take more responsibility for their writing, from developing their topic to writing drafts, they become more confident and inspired .
• Notice how the “E” or “bottom bun” elaborates on the idea of becoming an independent learner.  

Step 3 Strategies : Questions to ask yourself when analyzing the function of evidence

What “move” is the “E” / bottom bun is making? (e.g. What’s the “function” of the “E” / bottom bun?”)

• Is it interpreting the evidence?
• Is it analyzing the evidence?
• Is it describing an outcome?
• Is it providing an example?
• Is it making a prediction?
• Is it evaluating the evidence?
• Is it challenging the evidence?
• Is it elaborating on evidence that came before in the paragraph/essay?
• Is it comparing the evidence with something else or another piece of evidence?
• Is it connecting the evidence to a previously stated idea in the paragraph/essay?

Choose a function: Evaluate, Compare, Analyze, Connect, Predict

Watch this video: Evidence & Citations

Watch this video on the importance of explaining your evidence and including citations.

From: Ariel Bassett

Language Stems for Integrating Evidence

The sentence stems below can help you develop your command of more complex academic language.

Stems to refer to outside knowledge and/or experts

• It is / has been believed that…
• Researchers have noted that…
• Experts point out that…
• Based on these figures… / These figures show… / The data (seems to) suggest(s)…

Stems for introducing example evidence

• X (year) illustrates this point with an example about… (p. #).
• One of example is…. (X, year, p. #).
• As an example of this/___, ….. (X, year, p. #)
• …. is an illustration / example of… (citation).
• For example, …or For instance, …

Stems to support arguments and claims

• According to X (year), …. (p. #).
• As proof of this, X (year) claims…. (p. #).
• X (year) provides evidence for/that… (p. #).
• X (year) demonstrates that… (p. #).

Stems to draw conclusions (helpful to use in the explanation / bottom bun)

• This suggests / demonstrates / indicates / shows / illustrates…

(In the above examples, you can combine the demonstrative pronoun “this” with a noun. Ex: “these results suggests…” or “this example illustrates…” or “these advantages show….”)

• This means…
• In this way,…
• It is possible that…
• Such evidence seems to suggest… / Such evidence suggests…

Stems to agree with a source (helpful to use in the explanation / bottom bun)

• As X correctly notes…
• As X rightly observes, …
• As X insightfully points out, …

Stems to disagree with a source (helpful to use in the explanation / bottom bun)

• Although X contends that…
• However, it remains unclear whether…
• Critics are quick to point out that…

Academic Writing I Copyright © by UW-Madison ESL Program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Introduce Evidence in an Essay: Step-by-Step Guide

Table of contents

• 1 What Is Evidence in an Essay?
• 2.1 Testimonial
• 2.2 Anecdotal
• 2.3 Textual
• 2.4 Logical
• 2.5 Statistical
• 2.6 Analogical
• 3 How Can I Introduce Evidence in an Essay?
• 4 Key Phrases for Introducing Evidence
• 5 Dos and Don’ts in Integrating Evidence Into the Essay

What Is Evidence in an Essay?

If you want to learn how to introduce evidence in an essay, you have come to the right place. We promise to list all the essential things you need to be familiar with in order to compose an ideal academic essay . But before we turn to this particular topic, we would like to first discuss the essence of this term. Introducing evidence in an essay is a way of providing reliable and credible support for the argument or point of view taken. Professional paper writers understand that it is essential to use the right kind of evidence to back up a claim. This helps to make the argument more convincing and strengthens its validity.

Evidence forms the strongest foundation on which your essay statements can stand. It is absolutely important that every writer backs up his or her arguments with quotes, diagrams, tables, paraphrases from reliable sources, and so on. If they are not present in a text, readers are unlikely to consider the work in question professional.

Various Types of Evidence

To learn how to introduce your evidence in an essay, you should first get familiar with the different proof categories. All of them can be highly beneficial for supporting your ideas in an assignment. Although you can use an essay writing service , we believe it will be very helpful if you get familiar with the different categories. We guarantee that after reading the following sections, you will find it much easier to introduce evidence into your essay.

Testimonial

To make your academic paper even more reliable, you should consider listing the opinion of one or more experts in the particular field you are focusing on. An example of an experienced individual would be someone who has a degree in the field in question. Integrating evidence through testimonials will make your work look very professional and credible.

Another reasonable way to introduce evidence in an essay is to describe real-life experiences. Readers usually find these very intriguing, and many authors try to capture readers’ interest by including a series of personal stories or case studies. It is not a good idea to use anecdotal evidence alone, as it is not as reliable as the other options listed in this section.

This particular type is widely used and is considered one of the most useful ones when it comes to poetry analysis, for example. You can support your claims by adding quotes from books, poems, reports, and so on. Once you learn how to introduce evidence in an essay via textual references, you will find it easier to introduce the other types of evidence discussed here.

In contrast to the one listed above, logical evidence is often said to be the weakest option when it comes to supporting one’s ideas. When you choose to support an argument with logic, you are essentially presenting a hypothetical conclusion. Authors should always support their beliefs with other things, such as case studies, quotes, diagrams, etc.

Statistical

This is definitely one of the most commonly used types of support. In the simplest terms, this particular variant relies on statistics. It shows that the author has done his best to gather data from various sources. Moreover, such numerical charts or tables are quite hard to refute. They are usually presented at the beginning of an essay in order to attract the reader’s attention from the very beginning. Those are commonly used in the process of writing an academic essay, which is quite understandable, considering how useful and informative they can be.

Analogies are a great way to introduce your views on a particular topic. Incorporating evidence using comparisons is a common practice, and many authors believe it works wonders. Simply put, a writer explains his or her concepts by comparing two similar objects or situations. It is best to choose an object that is already familiar to the reader. This way, it will be easier for him to understand your arguments.

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How Can I Introduce Evidence in an Essay?

One of the most important things you should do when writing classification essays or any other type of paper, you should first create a plan you will stick to throughout the entire time. One of the essential things you should consider is how to present evidence in an essay. Here is our step-by-step guide on introducing evidence that will be of great help to you.

• Introduce the topic of your essay to readers.
• Use an argument and introduce your evidence by mentioning the name of the writer and the respective work of his.
• Citing evidence should never begin with a quote. Instead, be sure to use words or phrases such as according to, as cited by, as [author’s name] says in his book, and so on.
• When you introduce a textual reference in your essay, be sure to reproduce all quotations verbatim and put them in quotation marks.
• Right after introducing evidence to your paper, provide further information about it.
• Elaborate on why you have decided to use this book, article, statistics, or poem as a reference.
• Sum up the paragraph with a sentence that will conclude your idea.

Key Phrases for Introducing Evidence

To learn how to state evidence in an essay, you should familiarize yourself with a few key phrases that should always be present in an academic paper. As mentioned earlier, a writer should never begin directly with a citation. Regardless of whether you work on diagnostic essay writing or poetry analysis, you should always introduce your sources with the help of special phrases. Here are some of them:

As [author’s name] indicated in his study…

As stated by the author…

In accordance with what the poet says in his work…

According to the writer…

As mentioned in the book…

This particular source makes it clear that…

The writer claims that…

As shown in the statistics…

This research shows that…

For example,…

As can be seen on page 18, the writer claims that…

As he points out in his study…

Dos and Don’ts in Integrating Evidence Into the Essay

We hope that you already know the answer to the question: How do you present evidence in an essay? Nevertheless, we thought it would be best to go over the most important aspects writers should consider when they introduce their ideas using citations, diagrams, etc. Additionally, if you are in a rush and need a paper written quickly, there are many last-minute paper writing services available to help you.

First and foremost, you should never introduce your evidence with a quote, as we have already mentioned. Make sure that you use enough important introductory phrases in your analysis. Also, when writing essays, make sure that you are very familiar with the topic at hand. This way, you will have no trouble elaborating on the research papers, books, or articles you use to support your beliefs.

Moreover, it is important to edit your paper online for any mistakes or inconsistencies. This way, you can ensure that your essay is free of errors and reads smoothly. Additionally, online editing tools can help you to accurately cite any sources you use, giving your essay an extra layer of credibility.

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Writing Tutorial Services

Using evidence.

Like a lawyer in a jury trial, a writer must convince her audience of the validity of her argument by using evidence effectively. As a writer, you must also use evidence to persuade your readers to accept your claims. But how do you use evidence to your advantage? By leading your reader through your reasoning.

The types of evidence you use change from discipline to discipline--you might use quotations from a poem or a literary critic, for example, in a literature paper; you might use data from an experiment in a lab report.

The process of putting together your argument is called analysis --it interprets evidence in order to support, test, and/or refine a claim . The chief claim in an analytical essay is called the thesis . A thesis provides the controlling idea for a paper and should be original (that is, not completely obvious), assertive, and arguable. A strong thesis also requires solid evidence to support and develop it because without evidence, a claim is merely an unsubstantiated idea or opinion.

This Web page will cover these basic issues (you can click or scroll down to a particular topic):

• Incorporating evidence effectively.
• Integrating quotations smoothly.
• Citing your sources.

Incorporating Evidence Into Your Essay

When should you incorporate evidence.

Once you have formulated your claim, your thesis (see the WTS pamphlet, " How to Write a Thesis Statement ," for ideas and tips), you should use evidence to help strengthen your thesis and any assertion you make that relates to your thesis. Here are some ways to work evidence into your writing:

• Offer evidence that agrees with your stance up to a point, then add to it with ideas of your own.
• Present evidence that contradicts your stance, and then argue against (refute) that evidence and therefore strengthen your position.
• Use sources against each other, as if they were experts on a panel discussing your proposition.
• Use quotations to support your assertion, not merely to state or restate your claim.

Weak and Strong Uses of Evidence

In order to use evidence effectively, you need to integrate it smoothly into your essay by following this pattern:

• State your claim.
• Give your evidence, remembering to relate it to the claim.
• Comment on the evidence to show how it supports the claim.

To see the differences between strong and weak uses of evidence, here are two paragraphs.

Weak use of evidence

Today, we are too self-centered. Most families no longer sit down to eat together, preferring instead to eat on the go while rushing to the next appointment (Gleick 148). Everything is about what we want.

This is a weak example of evidence because the evidence is not related to the claim. What does the claim about self-centeredness have to do with families eating together? The writer doesn't explain the connection.

The same evidence can be used to support the same claim, but only with the addition of a clear connection between claim and evidence, and some analysis of the evidence cited.

Stronger use of evidence

Today, Americans are too self-centered. Even our families don't matter as much anymore as they once did. Other people and activities take precedence. In fact, the evidence shows that most American families no longer eat together, preferring instead to eat on the go while rushing to the next appointment (Gleick 148). Sit-down meals are a time to share and connect with others; however, that connection has become less valued, as families begin to prize individual activities over shared time, promoting self-centeredness over group identity.

This is a far better example, as the evidence is more smoothly integrated into the text, the link between the claim and the evidence is strengthened, and the evidence itself is analyzed to provide support for the claim.

Using Quotations: A Special Type of Evidence

One effective way to support your claim is to use quotations. However, because quotations involve someone else's words, you need to take special care to integrate this kind of evidence into your essay. Here are two examples using quotations, one less effective and one more so.

Ineffective Use of Quotation

Today, we are too self-centered. "We are consumers-on-the-run . . . the very notion of the family meal as a sit-down occasion is vanishing. Adults and children alike eat . . . on the way to their next activity" (Gleick 148). Everything is about what we want.

This example is ineffective because the quotation is not integrated with the writer's ideas. Notice how the writer has dropped the quotation into the paragraph without making any connection between it and the claim. Furthermore, she has not discussed the quotation's significance, which makes it difficult for the reader to see the relationship between the evidence and the writer's point.

A More Effective Use of Quotation

Today, Americans are too self-centered. Even our families don't matter as much any more as they once did. Other people and activities take precedence, as James Gleick says in his book, Faster . "We are consumers-on-the-run . . . the very notion of the family meal as a sit-down occasion is vanishing. Adults and children alike eat . . . on the way to their next activity" (148). Sit-down meals are a time to share and connect with others; however, that connection has become less valued, as families begin to prize individual activities over shared time, promoting self-centeredness over group identity.

The second example is more effective because it follows the guidelines for incorporating evidence into an essay. Notice, too, that it uses a lead-in phrase (". . . as James Gleick says in his book, Faster ") to introduce the direct quotation. This lead-in phrase helps to integrate the quotation with the writer's ideas. Also notice that the writer discusses and comments upon the quotation immediately afterwards, which allows the reader to see the quotation's connection to the writer's point.

REMEMBER: Discussing the significance of your evidence develops and expands your paper!

Citing Your Sources

Evidence appears in essays in the form of quotations and paraphrasing. Both forms of evidence must be cited in your text. Citing evidence means distinguishing other writers' information from your own ideas and giving credit to your sources. There are plenty of general ways to do citations. Note both the lead-in phrases and the punctuation (except the brackets) in the following examples:

Quoting: According to Source X, "[direct quotation]" ([date or page #]).

Paraphrasing: Although Source Z argues that [his/her point in your own words], a better way to view the issue is [your own point] ([citation]).

Summarizing: In her book, Source P's main points are Q, R, and S [citation].

Your job during the course of your essay is to persuade your readers that your claims are feasible and are the most effective way of interpreting the evidence.

Questions to Ask Yourself When Revising Your Paper

• Have I offered my reader evidence to substantiate each assertion I make in my paper?
• Do I thoroughly explain why/how my evidence backs up my ideas?
• Do I avoid generalizing in my paper by specifically explaining how my evidence is representative?
• Do I provide evidence that not only confirms but also qualifies my paper's main claims?
• Do I use evidence to test and evolve my ideas, rather than to just confirm them?
• Do I cite my sources thoroughly and correctly?

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Reading Skills

Using textual evidence to support claims.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: November 1, 2023

What We Review

Introduction

When you’re making your point in an essay or a class debate, it’s super important to back it up with evidence from the text you’re discussing. Think of it like showing your work in math class; without that step, you’re just sharing an opinion that might not seem well-founded.

It’s not the most exciting thing to search for text evidence to incorporate into your writing. It takes work! Digging to find the right evidence, integrating it, citing it correctly, and explaining how it ultimately supports your claim is no simple task.

However, this process is an immensely powerful exercise in teaching students how to become effective communicators. High school is all about learning to juggle different kinds of reading – stories, factual articles, you name it – and making strong points about them. And this isn’t just for getting good grades. This skill will follow you to college and even to your future job, where being able to back up your ideas with solid facts will really matter.

What is Textual Evidence?

Alright, let’s break it down: What’s this thing called textual evidence? It’s pretty much any part of a book or article that you use to back up your points. It could be an exact line taken straight from the text (a direct quote), your own version of what the author said (a paraphrase), or even a boiled-down version of a big section (a summary). No matter how you slice it, the goal is the same: to support your argument.

In high school, you’ll often be asked to dig deep into books and write a literary analysis. This is just a fancy way of looking closely at a particular piece of the book, like the theme or how the characters change over time. Take, for example, if you’re asked to write about how Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird deals with racial discrimination.

You’d go on a sort of scavenger hunt through the novel, hunting for every bit that shows racial discrimination. Then, in your essay, you’ll bring out these examples to back up your point. Like, you might sum up the trial of Tom Robinson to show that even though there wasn’t enough evidence to prove he did anything wrong, he was still convicted. That’s a powerful piece of textual evidence to help explain the book’s message about the unfairness of racial prejudice.

Identifying Textual Evidence

Now let’s figure out how to spot the right textual evidence. When you need to back up your points, picking the right evidence from the text can be tricky. If you closely read the text, you’ll be in a way better position to choose the strongest evidence for your argument.

So, you’ve read closely and marked up the text with notes and highlights. When it’s time to write your essay, these annotations are like a treasure map. You don’t have to reread everything; just skim through your notes to see which bits connect to your point. Find a section that fits with what you’re saying? Great—now decide how to use it best in your essay. Sometimes you’ll use the exact words (a direct quote), and other times you’ll put it in your own words (paraphrase).

Let’s say you’re looking at “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and you note where the Black community sits during Tom Robinson’s trial—in a separate balcony. This detail doesn’t come from someone’s mouth, but it’s a powerful snapshot of racial segregation, so you don’t need to quote anyone. On the flip side, when Atticus Finch nails it with his speech about the false belief that all Black people are not to be trusted, his exact words are gold. They directly show the theme of racial discrimination, so you’d definitely quote him directly in your essay.

Evaluating Textual Evidence

When you’re writing an essay for English class, you know the books and stories you study are solid sources. But what about when you’re on your own, searching online for that perfect piece of evidence to make your essay shine? It’s not always easy to know if what you find on the internet is reliable. Here’s a quick guide to judge if an online source is up to the mark:

• Who Wrote It: Check out who’s behind the article or webpage. What’s their background or education? Are they an expert? This matters because you want info from people who are trusted in their field.
• Fact-Check: Look at the info you find and cross-check it with other sources. If a website claims “To Kill a Mockingbird” is about how to catch birds, that’s a red flag—it’s way off from the book’s actual content.
• Look for Citations: Good authors back up their points with evidence, just like you’re doing in your essays. If the webpage or article lists its sources, that’s a sign the author has done their homework.
• Watch for Bias: It’s okay for sources to have a point of view , but you should know what that bias is. Understanding an author’s perspective helps you consider how their opinion might shape the information they present.
• Freshness: How recent is the information? Check when the article was written or last updated. While the latest isn’t always the greatest, especially for classic literature, it’s still good to know if the information is current.

Remember, picking the right evidence isn’t just about filling in quotes—it’s about building a case that what you’re saying is legit. And that means being choosy about where you get your facts from, especially online.

Incorporating Textual Evidence into Analysis

Got your claim and your evidence lined up? Great, now let’s talk about how to weave that into your essay without it sounding like a jumbled mess. Kick things off with a clear thesis statement. This is where you lay out your main argument and hint at how you will prove it.

Now, when chatting with friends, you probably introduce cool facts or stories with a casual “Hey, did you know…” or “For instance…” Use that same approach in your essay. Phrases like “For example” or “As [this character] states in the text…” are your friends here. They help you slide your evidence into your essay smoothly.

Don’t forget about those punctuation marks when you’re using direct quotes; they’re like traffic signals for your reader, so they don’t get lost. And whether you’re quoting directly, paraphrasing, or summarizing, always pop an in-text citation in there to give credit where it’s due. It’s like saying, “Hey, don’t just take my word for it; here’s where I got it from.”

Finally, don’t just drop a quote and run. Follow it up with a clear explanation. This is where you tie your evidence back to your claim, showing how it backs up your argument. Think of it as the grand finale of your evidence presentation—it makes your case convincing.

Textual Evidence in Action: Dissecting Discrimination in To Kill a Mockingbird

Below is an example from an essay on racial discrimination in To Kill a Mockingbird that uses these conventions.

“In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the theme of racial discrimination is revealed through the events of Tom Robinson’s trial, from the threats he received at the jail, to Atticus’ charge to the jury, and finally, in the trial’s unjust verdict. For example, in Chapter 15, Tom Robinson is being held at the local jail, and Atticus Finch takes it upon himself to guard Tom’s cell. Finch’s decision is not unwarranted, as several cars pulled up to the jail, men got out of their cars, and these men surrounded Atticus (Lee 127). Finch knew that these men racially discriminated against Tom and intended violence against him as a Black man, and Finch was determined to protect Tom and ensure that Tom was granted a chance at a fair trial.”

Common Pitfalls and Mistakes

When it comes to writing a killer literary analysis, there are a few traps students tend to fall into. For starters, getting citations wrong or skipping them altogether is a big no-no. Luckily, resources like the Purdue OWL website are there to help you nail the citation game.

Another slip-up is making your evidence say too much or too little. Imagine saying, “Some mad guys chatted with Atticus at the jail and bounced.” That’s way too vague and doesn’t do the job of explaining how it supports your point. Plus, it kind of twists what actually happened in “To Kill a Mockingbird”.

Picking evidence that doesn’t fit your claim is another common blunder. Say you’re talking about racism, and you bring up how the people of Maycomb don’t trust the Ewells. If you’re using that to show racial discrimination, you’re off track because their mistrust is about the Ewells’ nasty reputation, not their race.

What is the best way to sidestep these errors? Make sure you really get the text. That means reading closely and carefully so that when it’s time to write, you choose the best bits of the book that really back up your argument.

Wrapping it up, when you’re making a point about what you’ve read, it’s crucial to back it up with solid text evidence. You’ve got to be on the ball with picking out the right parts of the text, judging which online sources are legit, and mixing your evidence into your argument just right. Learning to stand up for your ideas with clear writing and confident talking is a game-changer. It’s all about getting your point across with evidence that packs a punch. That’s how you go from just saying something to really proving it—and that’s a skill that’ll take you places – in school and beyond.

Practice Makes Perfect

To truly hone your skills in analyzing and supporting arguments with textual evidence, regular practice is key—and that’s where Albert comes into play. It’s not just about reading; it’s about engaging with a range of texts to sharpen your analytical tools.

If you’re just starting out, our Short Readings course is ideal. It uses brief passages to solidify those vital reading skills.

Another option for practice is our  Leveled Readings  course, where you’ll find a range of Lexile® leveled passages that all revolve around essential questions. This ensures that everyone is engaged, no matter their reading level. Click  here  for more information about the Lexile® framework!

Albert.io isn’t just about the practice—it’s about practicing smart. With a user-friendly interface and feedback that actually teaches you something, it’s your go-to for mastering close reading and getting to grips with complex texts. When it comes to backing up your points with the right evidence, you’ll be doing it with confidence and flair.

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Integrating Evidence Effectively

Let’s say you’ve identified some good evidence for an argument in your paper. You’ve already decided to keep the evidence as a direct quote or to paraphrase the information you found. Or maybe your evidence is a table or graph. But what’s the next step? Where should the quotation, paraphrase, or other evidence go in the paragraph? And how do you include it without everything looking choppy, or even worse, confusing? 

Integrating evidence smoothly into your writing requires a few standard tools plus some critical thinking. You can think of the process in three stages:  signaling ,  situating , and  synthesizing . 

Let your reader know when a quote or paraphrase is coming. Doing so helps your readers distinguish between what thoughts are your own and what information or commentary is from another author. 

Signaling involves two components: an  attribution  (the author’s name and/or title of the text) and a  signal verb . 

The choice of signal verb is important because it tells the reader what you think about the source text being paraphrased. Consider, for example, the difference between  alleges  and  affirms . Alleges casts doubt on the statement, while affirms projects confidence and demonstrates agreement. For more information, see  Reporting Verbs .

Author-prominent and information prominent writing styles

Academic writing requires that you integrate evidence to support your argument. However, the way you blend evidence into your own words depends on both the discipline and what kind of context it prioritizes: authorship or information. For more extensive help, see  Integrating evidence effectively: author- or information-prominent citations .

Author-prominent

Cargill and O’Connor (2009) studied wheat and barley collected from the Virginia field site. 

In the previous sentence, Cargill and O'Connor is the attribution and studied is the signal verb. Notice that the authors appear at the beginning of the sentence. 

Information-prominent  

Wheat and barley, collected from the Virginia field site, were studied (Cargill & O’Connor, 2009). 

In this second example, the attribution is still the same (Cargill and O'Connor), as is the signal verb (were studied). But notice that the information (wheat and barley...) comes at the beginning of the sentence to draw the reader's focus there.

When situating evidence, you make clear to readers how the original writer presented their information. What larger argument was the writer making? Are there any additional details that may help your reader understand the information more clearly? For instance, did the author provide any exceptions or caveats to what was mentioned?    

Compare the two passages below, which introduce the same quotation. Passage A provides very little context about the author Bordo’s quotation, whereas Passage B situates the quotation within Bordo’s larger argument. 

Passage A: Little context 

Susan Bordo writes about women and dieting. "Fiji is just one example. Until television was introduced in 1995, the islands had no reported cases of eating disorders. In 1998, three years after programs from the United States and Britain began broadcasting there, 62 percent of the girls surveyed reported dieting" (149-50). 

Passage B: Situates the quotation within the context 

The feminist philosopher Susan Bordo deplores Wester media's obsession with female thinness and dieting. Her basic complaint is that increasingnumbers of women across the globe are being led to see themselves as fat and in need of a diet. Citing the islands of Fiji as an example, Bordo notes that "until television was introduced in 1995, the islands had no reported cases of eating disorders. In 1998, three years after programs from the United States and Britain began broadcasting there, 62% of the girls surveyed reported dieting" (149-50). 

You chose your piece of evidence because it helps support your argument, but evidence doesn’t speak for itself.  Your synthesis will be the glue that holds these pieces of evidence together, showing how they support your point.

Below, you can see a sample paragraph that has been divided out into its three main parts. The final section shows how synthesizing clarifies the purpose of the evidence used.

Writer’s main argument/clai   m : In June 2018, the UK introduced a new Counter-terrorism and Border Security bill, which received Royal Assent on February 12th 2019. However, several clauses are troubling. The bill suffers from vagueness and ambiguities that could inappropriately prosecute academics and journalists. It could also have a chilling effect on free speech and freedom of expression. Most notably, Clause 1 of the bill would criminalize the expression of support for a proscribed terrorist organization.

Evidence that Clause 1 would criminalize support for a proscribed terrorist : When RSF (Reporters Without Borders) briefed the government on the problematic language, they noted the lack of clarity around the word “supportive” in Clause 1, and were concerned it would stifle debate.

Synthesis : Imagine, for example, a conversation between two academics on the ideologies of two terrorist organizations. While both academics might condemn the actions of those groups, one of them might claim that Group A’s ideology is more legitimate than Group B’s. Would this count as expressing support for the terrorist organization? The bill does not specify.

In the synthesis , the writer explains how the vagueness of the word “supportive” could be interpreted in a variety of ways, potentially leading to condemnation of some opinions. This synthesis helps show how the evidence supports both the minor claim, and, ultimately, the author’s main argument.

27 Flow: Integrate Textual Evidence (Quotes, Paraphrases, Summaries)

Flow: integrate textual evidence (quotes, paraphrases, summaries), integrate textual evidence (quotes, paraphrases, summaries) concerns.

• your ability to weave citations into a text, to synthesize all available information, in ways that support and substantiate the text–its thesis/research question , rhetorical stance , tone .
• your ability to introduce and clarify the ethos of the quoted, paraphrased, or summarized information
• your professionalism in terms of providing the details others need to locate the sources you’re citing and affirmation that information has value.

The ability to Integrate Textual Evidence is a core 21st century literacy , whether you’re writing for the workplace or school.

When quotations are smoothly integrated, writers can strategically introduce their readers to the new speaker, connect their point to the quotation’s theme, and provide their audience with a clear sense of how the quote supports the paper’s argument. Using these tactics to segue from the writer’s voice to the source’s voice can add agency and authority to the writer’s ideas.

In workplace and school settings, texts that are judged to be substantive are typically informed by textual research.

When working to integrate textual research into your text, you want your readers to understand how the new information relates to your ideas and arguments.

Here is one example of engaging with source material in an engaging, conversational mode:

Tom Smith writes, “Most ponies enjoy skateboarding on Saturday nights” (8). Though my findings support Smith’s claims that most ponies do enjoy skateboarding, however, my research shows that ponies tend to skate on Sunday afternoons. The differences in our findings may come from the recent changes in skateboarding laws, which are not applicable on Sundays because skateboarding officials have the day off.

In this example, the writer responds to the source material by comparing and contrasting the source’s ideas with his or her own. The source material is the section of the sentence that appears between the quotation marks. This sentence comes from page 8 of Tom Smith’s book; this is indicated by the number 8 that appears between the parentheses. If the writer and Tom Smith were at a party together, their conversation would be interesting and vibrant. Here is one example of unsuccessful source engagement:

Tom Smith writes, “Most ponies enjoy skateboarding on Saturday nights” (8). I agree.

In this example, we see no engagement with the source material. If the writer and Tom Smith were talking at a party, it would be a boring conversation that does not go anywhere. Simply agreeing or disagreeing does not continue the conversation, nor does it highlight the importance of your findings. Another way of thinking about source engagement is a three-step process: explain, engage, and discuss.

• Explaining: Explaining requires that you explain what the author in the source is talking about and why it is important. Do not take it for granted that readers will know why the source material you use is important or significant.
• Engaging: The second step, engage, requires you to talk back to the source
• Discussing: Finally, discuss the implications of your response. Here is an example of this process:

Example: The latest study from Bird University found that “parrots tend to sleep all day on Sundays” (1). This finding is significant because it supports my hypothesis that Sunday is the official day of rest for parrots. Further research on this topic is necessary; it could be significant to many other fields of study if other varieties of birds also rest on Sundays.

Five Strategies for Integrating Textual Evidence

When citing outside research, writers want to

• Avoid dropped quotes

Introduce the Author’s Name and Publication

• Use a signal phrase at the beginning or end of the quotation
•  Use an informative sentence to introduce the quotation
• Use appropriate signal verbs

Repeat the Author’s Name to Aid Cohesion & Comprehension When You Continue to Reference that Author

• Use Punctuation to Set off Sources from Your Prose.

Avoid Dropped Quotes

Dropped Quotes are quotes that are dropped into a text without being introduced. Readers are confused by dropped quotes, particularly when numerous quotes are dropped, because

• they don’t know enough about the source to determine if its authentic, reliable, timely.
• they cannot distinguish between what the writer is saying and what the sources are saying–i.e., who is speaking, who is driving the argument
• they cannot tell how the dropped quotes relate to one another or the writer’s thesis/research question.

Dropped quotes disrupt the flow of thought, create an abrupt change in voice, and/or leave the reader wondering why the quote is included.

Instead of creating an unwelcome disruption in their paper’s cohesiveness with a dropped quotation, thoughtful writers should employ strategies for smoothly integrating source material into their own work.

You should introduce your quotes with your own words either before or after the quote—do not ask the quote to “speak for itself” and do all the work alone—you have to explain to the reader what the quote is doing there. You can avoid dropped quotes by

• distinguishing between your ideas and those of your sources
• introducing your sources, clarifying their ethos , pathos , logos .

When incorporating a source into your paper for the first time using MLA, reference not only the author’s full name (if provided) but also the title of the publication.

If you wanted to use a quote from Homi Bhabha’s The Location of Culture and you had not referenced this source yet in your paper, you would want to give it a full introduction:

In The Location of Culture, Homi Bhabha discusses the effect of mimicry upon the cultural hybrid, claiming that mimicry renders “the colonial subject . . . a ‘partial’ presence” (123).

Before quoting, you provide the reader with both the author (Homi Bhabha) and the title of the publication (The Location of Culture). That way, going forth, unless you introduce a different book or article, the reader knows that all references to Bhabha come from The Location of Culture.

Use Signal Phrases

When using information from a source, whether just summarizing or analyzing the information, you need to indicate where that information came from. If an you do not use signal words and phrases to show where the information came from, others may assume you are presenting your original ideas. That sort of error constitutes unintentional plagiarism. When incorporating quotes, facts, evidence, and/or paraphrasing from a reference, or source, indicate where the information came from with phrases such as:

• According to the author…
• The author states…
• In the article…
• The source provides information about…
• Noted journalist John Doe proposed that “ . . . ” (14).
• “. . . ,” suggested researcher Jane Doe (1).
• Experts from The Centers for Disease Control advise citizens to “ . . . ” (CDC).

Below is an example of a source summary paragraph in which it is unclear whether the information is from the source or the author’s own ideas. In this summary, the author of the paragraph does not use signal words and phrases to link the information to the author of the research source. Click here for the original article.

Some people say that whoopee cushions originated in the Middle Ages, but they were actually invented in 1930s Canada. Whoopee cushions became popular very quickly, making appearances in a 1942 Bob Hope and Bing Crosby movie and 1950s comics. Over time, the whoopee cushion has changed from green to mostly pink in color and a wooden mouth to a rubber one. They are now made mostly in China.

Now, here is the same summary with signal words and phrases (in bold) to indicate that the information comes from a source. The author does not use a signal word or phrase for each sentence, but the author does make it clear when using information from a research source.

According to the article “Who Made That Whoopee Cushion, some people say that whoopee cushions originated in the Middle Ages, but they were actually invented in 1930s Canada. Authors Hilary Greenbaum and Dana Rubinstein describe how whoopee cushions became popular very quickly, making appearances in a 1942 Bob Hope and Bing Crosby movie and 1950s comics. The authors also state that over time, the whoopee cushion has changed from green to mostly pink in color and a wooden mouth to a rubber one. They are now made mostly in China.

Use an informative sentence to introduce the quotation:

• The results of dietician Sally Smith’s research counter the popular misconception that a vegan diet is nutritionally incomplete:
• An experiment conducted by Dave Brown indicates that texting while driving is more dangerous than previously believed:

Use appropriate signal verbs:

When incorporating a source into your paper for the second time (or any other time following the initial introduction of that source) using MLA, provide the reader with only the author’s last name.

If you are still working with Bhabha’s The Location of Culture, you might do something like this:

As Bhabha writes, “[Mimicry] is a form of colonial discourse that . . . [exists] at the crossroads of what is known and permissible and that which though known must be kept concealed” (128).

Since you’ve already provided the reader with Bhabha’s full name (Homi Bhabha), there’s no need to give it again. All later references thus only require Bhabha’s last name. If pulling material from a different work of Bhabha’s, though, you’ll need to introduce the quote (or paraphrase or summary) by specifying this new title (though you’ll still only need to provide Bhabha’s last name).

Note: Never refer to an author by his or her first name. Either reference the author by his or her full name or by his or her last name, depending upon whether or not you’ve previously mentioned the author’s full name in your piece of writing.

Use Punctuation to Set off Sources from Your Prose

In the interests of Brevity, Clutter, Concision , you may not want to cite only a few words from a source rather than a lengthy quote. Dashes, Ellipses, Parenthesis–these forms of punctuation enable you to distinguish your ideas from your sources.

You may choose to use a dash (two hyphens) or a colon to introduce the quoted material.

This can be tricky, depending upon the excerpt you’re using, because you may have to rework the wording within the quote to suit the sentence structure.

Whenever you change or add/delete anything—anything at all, even a capitalization—within a quote, you must bracket [ ] the change, addition, or deletion.

The child crosses this bar when he enters into language, as he can never again access the Real—a realm that now may “only [be] approach[ed] through language” (Price Herndl 53).

You may choose to change the wording within a quote (and bracket accordingly) so that it works within your sentence structure.

The excerpted material must make sense within the context of your sentence, and the reader still must be able to distinguish between your ideas and those of your source.

The child crosses this bar when he enters into language, as he can never again access the Real, for “[he] can only approach it through language” (Price Herndl 53).

Works Cited

Bhabha, Homi. The Location of Culture. London: Routledge, 1994. Print.

Price Herndl, Diane. “The Writing Cure: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Anna O., and ‘Hysterical’ Writing.” NWSA Journal 1.1 (1988): 52–74. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 30 April 2011

Licenses and Attribution

“Flow: Integrate Textual Evidence (Quotes, Paraphrases, Summaries)” by Joseph M. Moxley is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Using Research to Support Scholarly Writing Copyright © 2021 by Matthew Bloom; Christine Jones; Cameron MacElvee; Jeffrey Sanger; and Lori Walk is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Peterborough

Effectively Integrating Evidence

• Writing about Evidence

Attribution to a Source

• Verbs of Attribution

Using Quotations as Evidence

• How to Incorporate Quotations in Paragraphs

Writing About Evidence

Your paper's success depends on your ability to provide and explain evidence. Be specific in your discussion of the evidence: accurately convey the idea, data, or example and present your interpretation and explanation of the evidence in relation to your thesis.

Remember that specific evidence is strong evidence; avoid broad generalizations or vague ideas. Offer clear examples, detailed processes, numerical data, theoretical background, or other types of evidence.

Be intentional about your use of evidence. Ask yourself a few questions:

• What piece of evidence best demonstrates the idea I develop in this paragraph?
• Do I need to summarize (focus on the main point or finding), paraphrase (explain a particular detail), or directly quote this evidence?
• What important context do I need to identify to accurately and clearly write about this evidence?
• How does this piece of evidence demonstrate the idea?
• How does this evidence fit with other pieces of evidence?

Learn more: Effective Summarizing and Paraphrasing

It is important to clearly identify the source of evidence in your writing. Of course, any evidence you use from another source must include a citation, but it is also common to make reference to a source within a sentence.

• Use the name of the author or authors. In CSE and APA format, a surname is typically used; however in MLA and Chicago, it is more usual to include a first name and surname in addition to position, if it is relevant (e.g., agricultural historian, Douglas McCalla or former Ontario premier, Bob Rae).
• Titles of books, journals, works of art, plays and movies should be italicized.
• Tiles of articles, chapters, and unpublished works should be put in quotation marks (double quotes).

Verbs of attribution

It is quite easy to fall into a rut with your word choice. This is most evident when you summarize or quote ideas from other sources: "Black writes . . . In addition, Lee and Green write . . . Finally, Khan writes . . . " or "Jay and colleagues looked at . . . " Try to vary your word choice and be more precise with your verbs of attribution or signal verbs. Consider the intent of the author(s): are they reporting, explaining, describing, measuring, listing, questioning, critiquing, or demanding? This will help you to get past the standard verbs like write, state, say, or look.

Signal verbs:

• adds, admits, affirms, argues,
• confirms, declares, insists,
• mentions, proposes, reports, states,
• reveals, suggests, thinks

More alternatives to "X writes":

• according to X
• in the opinion of X

When to use a direct quotation:

• when the writer's style or eloquence is so powerful that summarizing or paraphrasing would be significantly less effective.
• when the writer’s words give your argument validity and support.
• when you want to comment on, agree with, or take exception to what the writer has said.
• when you want to comment specifically on the writer’s choice of words.

Always link the quotation clearly and smoothly to your thoughts. Make sure you interpret or explain how the quotation illustrates your ideas. Never leave quotations to speak for themselves.

How to Incorporate Quotations into Your Writing

If quotations are to be effective, they must be carefully worked into your own sentences and paragraphs. It is important to ensure that quotations are introduced, commented on, and related to the controlling ideas of the paragraphs in which you place them.

There are many ways to introduce quotations.

The passage below is a direct quotation from Annette Tromly’s The Cover of the Mask: The Autobiographers in Charlotte Bronte’s Fiction . Following this are several examples illustrating how part of this passage may be incorporated into a writer’s own sentences.

"Jane’s most important relationship exists in that strange imaginative mid-region half-way between illusion and reality. The genesis of the relationship goes as far back as Gateshead. Enclosed in the Red Room, Jane is torn by opposition and dominated by her literary imagination." (Tromly 7).

The examples below simply report Tromly’s ideas, but they do so smoothly, and without abandoning the reader.

• Tromly argues that “Jane’s most important relationship exists in that strange imaginative mid-region half-way between illusion and reality.”
• According to Tromly, “Jane’s most important relationship exists in that strange imaginative mid-region half-way between illusion and reality.”
• “Jane’s most important relationship” occurs, in Tromly’s view, “half-way between illusion and reality.”

The next two examples make a direct comment on the material quoted:

• Tromly is wrong when she argues that “Jane’s most important relationship exists in that strange imaginative mid-region half-way between illusion and reality.”
• Tromly argues convincingly that Jane Eyre’s attachment to Rochester “exists in that strange imaginative mid-region half-way between illusion and reality.”

The last example places Tromly’s ideas in context by referring to other researchers’ treatment of the same topic:

All Bronte scholars agree with Tromly on one point: “Jane’s most important relationship exists in that strange imaginative mid-region half-way between illusion and reality.”

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How to Introduce Evidence in an Essay

December 28, 2023

Introducing evidence in an essay serves a crucial purpose – it strengthens your arguments and adds credibility to your claims. Without proper evidence, your essay may lack substance and fail to convince your readers. Evidence helps support your statements, providing solid proof of the validity of your ideas. It demonstrates that you have thoroughly researched your topic and have a strong basis for your arguments. Moreover, evidence adds depth to your writing and allows you to present a persuasive case. By including evidence in your essay, you show that you have considered various perspectives and have made informed conclusions. It is essential to understand the importance of evidence and its role in constructing a well-rounded and convincing essay. In the following sections, we will explore different types of evidence and learn how to effectively incorporate them into your writing.

Types of Evidence

When it comes to introducing evidence in an essay, it is important to consider the types of evidence available to you. Here are some commonly used types:

Statistical Evidence

Introducing evidence in an essay is crucial to support your ideas and arguments. One effective way of doing so is by utilizing statistical evidence. Statistics have the power to provide concrete facts and figures, making your essay more objective and credible.

By incorporating statistical evidence, you can back up your claims with well-researched data, lending an air of authority to your work. Whether you’re discussing social issues, scientific phenomena, or economic trends, statistics can showcase patterns, trends, and correlations that further strengthen your arguments.

Additionally, statistical evidence provides a numerical representation of information, making complex ideas more accessible to readers. It can engage your audience and facilitate their understanding, ensuring that your message resonates effectively.

However, it is important to ensure that your statistical evidence is reliable and obtained from reputable sources. This will boost the credibility of your essay, making it more persuasive and compelling. Remember, statistics add substance and impact to your writing, elevating it from a mere collection of words to a well-supported and convincing piece.

Expert Testimony

Introducing expert testimony in an essay can greatly enhance the credibility and persuasiveness of your arguments. Expert testimony involves quoting or referencing professionals, scholars, or individuals knowledgeable in a specific field to support your claims.

By incorporating the opinions and insights of experts, you can lend authority to your essay. Expert testimony adds a layer of validation to your arguments, demonstrating that your ideas are supported by those who possess extensive knowledge and experience in the subject matter.

Citing experts also strengthens your work by showcasing that you have done thorough research and have sought out trusted authorities in the field. This can establish your expertise as a writer and further establish your credibility with the readers.

When utilizing expert testimony, make sure to reference credible sources and provide proper attribution. This will ensure the integrity of your essay and bolster the confidence readers have in your arguments. Remember, expert testimony can provide valuable insights and earn the trust of your audience, making your essay more persuasive and impactful.

Anecdotal Evidence

Introducing anecdotal evidence in an essay allows you to connect with readers on a personal level while still conveying a persuasive message. Anecdotes are brief, relatable stories that provide real-life examples to support your arguments.

Anecdotal evidence adds a human touch to your essay, capturing the attention and interest of your audience. By sharing personal experiences, or those of others, you can create an emotional connection that resonates with readers.

These stories can be used to illustrate the impact of a particular phenomenon or to provide a compelling argument for your thesis. Anecdotes often invoke empathy and can help readers relate to the topic on a deeper level.

However, it’s crucial to use anecdotal evidence selectively and consider its limitations. While it can engage readers and appeal to their emotions, anecdotal evidence is subjective and may not represent the broader picture. Pairing anecdotal evidence with other types of evidence can strengthen your argument and ensure a more balanced and persuasive essay.

Empirical Evidence

Introducing empirical evidence in an essay involves utilizing observation, experimentation, and scientific data to support your arguments. Empirical evidence relies on systematic methods of data collection and analysis, making it a strong and reliable form of evidence.

By incorporating empirical evidence, you can establish a solid foundation for your essay. It allows you to present findings derived from thorough research, ensuring objectivity and credibility. Whether you’re discussing the effects of a medication, the impact of climate change, or the outcomes of a social program, empirical evidence provides tangible results and measurable outcomes.

Empirical evidence also lends itself to replicability, as others can evaluate and reproduce the research to validate the findings. This further strengthens the validity and persuasiveness of your essay.

When including empirical evidence, it is essential to cite the original studies or research articles, ensuring transparency and acknowledging the sources of your data. By incorporating empirical evidence in your essay, you build a persuasive argument supported by scientific rigor, enhancing the impact and credibility of your work.

Utilizing these different types of evidence allows for a well-rounded and convincing essay. It is important to select the type of evidence that best suits your argument and topic. In the following sections, we will delve into how to evaluate the credibility of evidence and effectively incorporate it into your essay.

Evaluating the Credibility of Evidence

When introducing evidence in an essay, it is crucial to evaluate its credibility to ensure the soundness of your arguments. Here are key factors to consider when assessing the reliability of evidence:

• Source credibility: Determine the expertise and authority of the source. Is it from a reputable organization, expert in the field, or peer-reviewed journal?
• Relevance: Assess the relevance of the evidence to your topic. Does it directly address your thesis or support your main points?
• Currency: Consider the recency of the evidence. Is it up-to-date or outdated? Depending on your topic, it may be necessary to prioritize recent information.
• Consistency: Look for consistency among multiple sources. Does the evidence align with other reliable sources, or is it an outlier?
• Sample size: If using statistical evidence, examine the sample size. Larger samples generally provide more representative results.
• Methodology: Evaluate the rigor of the research methods used to gather the evidence. Was it conducted using scientifically accepted practices?
• Bias: Be aware of potential bias in the evidence. Consider the funding sources, ideological leanings, or conflicts of interest that might impact the objectivity of the information.

By critically evaluating the credibility of evidence, you can ensure that your essay is well-supported and persuasive. Remember to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of different types of evidence to create a balanced and convincing argument.

Incorporating Evidence into the Essay

When writing an essay, incorporating evidence is essential to support your arguments and provide credibility to your claims. By seamlessly integrating evidence into your essay, you can enhance its overall quality and convince your readers of the validity of your ideas.

Here are some key strategies to effectively introduce evidence in your essay:

• Provide context: Start by giving your readers contextual information about the evidence. Explain the source, its significance, and how it relates to your argument. This helps your readers understand its relevance and establishes a solid foundation for your evidence.
• Use signal phrases: Use appropriate signal phrases to introduce your evidence. These phrases can indicate that you are about to present evidence, such as “According to,” “For example,” or “As evidence suggests.” Signal phrases create a smooth transition between your own ideas and the evidence you are presenting.
• Blend it into your sentence structure: Rather than dropping evidence abruptly, integrate it seamlessly into your sentence structure. This allows your evidence to flow naturally and become an integral part of your argument. This technique helps avoid the trap of using evidence as standalone sentences or paragraphs.
• Explain the significance: After presenting the evidence, take some time to explain its significance in relation to your argument. Analyze and interpret the evidence, showing your readers how it supports your main thesis and strengthens your overall stance.

By skillfully introducing evidence, you can effectively enhance the credibility and impact of your essay, making it more persuasive and compelling to your readers.

Quoting and Paraphrasing

Quoting and paraphrasing are essential techniques when introducing evidence in an essay. Quoting involves directly using the words of a source to provide support for your argument. It is important to surround the quote with proper punctuation and to cite the source accurately. Paraphrasing, on the other hand, involves restating the information from a source in your own words. This technique allows you to maintain the original meaning while integrating it seamlessly into your essay. When paraphrasing, it is crucial to avoid plagiarism by properly attributing the source. Whether you choose to quote or paraphrase, it is important to select evidence that strengthens your argument and provides credibility to your claims. By mastering the art of quoting and paraphrasing, you can introduce evidence effectively and enhance the overall quality of your essay.

Citing Sources

Citing sources is an essential step when introducing evidence in an essay, as it helps to validate your claims and avoid plagiarism. Here are some key points to keep in mind when citing sources:

• Choose the appropriate citation style: Different disciplines and academic institutions often have specific citation styles they prefer, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago. Understand the requirements and guidelines of the chosen citation style.
• Include all necessary information: When citing a source, provide all relevant details, including the author’s name, title of the work, publication date, and page numbers. The specific requirements may vary depending on the citation style.
• Use in-text citations: Whenever you include evidence or information from a source, make sure to include an in-text citation. This helps your reader identify the source and locate it in the bibliography or works cited page.
• Create a bibliography or works cited page: Compile a list of all the sources you used in your essay, following the formatting guidelines of your chosen citation style. This page should include full bibliographic information for each source.
• Double-check accuracy: Accuracy is crucial when citing sources. Make sure to double-check all the details, such as spelling, dates, and page numbers, to ensure they are correct.

By following these steps, you can effectively cite your sources and provide your essay with the necessary credibility and integrity.

Remember, effectively incorporating evidence into your essay not only adds weight to your arguments but also illustrates your ability to engage critically with the subject matter. By following these guidelines, you will be able to seamlessly integrate evidence and produce a well-supported and persuasive essay.

Connecting Evidence to Main Arguments

Connecting evidence to your main arguments is a crucial aspect of introducing evidence in an essay. It helps to strengthen your claims and provide a clear and logical flow to your work. Here are some strategies to effectively connect evidence to your main arguments:

• Establish relevance: Clearly explain how the evidence you are presenting connects directly to your main argument. Clearly state the relationship between the evidence and the point you are trying to make.
• Provide context: Before introducing the evidence, provide some background or context to help the reader understand its significance. Explain why this particular piece of evidence is relevant to your argument and how it supports your overall thesis.
• Use transitional phrases: Utilize transitional phrases or words to smoothly introduce your evidence. For example, phrases like “according to,” “for example,” or “research has shown” can guide the reader from your argument to the evidence.
• Analyze and interpret: Don’t just present evidence without analysis. Take the time to explain how the evidence supports your argument and what conclusions can be drawn from it. Show the reader how the evidence reinforces your main point.
• Use topic sentences and paragraphs: Dedicate specific paragraphs or topic sentences to introduce and discuss each piece of evidence. This helps to clearly organize your essay and ensure that the evidence is effectively connected to your main arguments.

By following these strategies, you can successfully connect evidence to your main arguments, making your essay more convincing and compelling.

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What this handout is about

This handout will provide a broad overview of gathering and using evidence. It will help you decide what counts as evidence, put evidence to work in your writing, and determine whether you have enough evidence. It will also offer links to additional resources.

Introduction

Many papers that you write in college will require you to make an argument ; this means that you must take a position on the subject you are discussing and support that position with evidence. It’s important that you use the right kind of evidence, that you use it effectively, and that you have an appropriate amount of it. If, for example, your philosophy professor didn’t like it that you used a survey of public opinion as your primary evidence in your ethics paper, you need to find out more about what philosophers count as good evidence. If your instructor has told you that you need more analysis, suggested that you’re “just listing” points or giving a “laundry list,” or asked you how certain points are related to your argument, it may mean that you can do more to fully incorporate your evidence into your argument. Comments like “for example?,” “proof?,” “go deeper,” or “expand” in the margins of your graded paper suggest that you may need more evidence. Let’s take a look at each of these issues—understanding what counts as evidence, using evidence in your argument, and deciding whether you need more evidence.

What counts as evidence?

Before you begin gathering information for possible use as evidence in your argument, you need to be sure that you understand the purpose of your assignment. If you are working on a project for a class, look carefully at the assignment prompt. It may give you clues about what sorts of evidence you will need. Does the instructor mention any particular books you should use in writing your paper or the names of any authors who have written about your topic? How long should your paper be (longer works may require more, or more varied, evidence)? What themes or topics come up in the text of the prompt? Our handout on understanding writing assignments can help you interpret your assignment. It’s also a good idea to think over what has been said about the assignment in class and to talk with your instructor if you need clarification or guidance.

What matters to instructors?

Instructors in different academic fields expect different kinds of arguments and evidence—your chemistry paper might include graphs, charts, statistics, and other quantitative data as evidence, whereas your English paper might include passages from a novel, examples of recurring symbols, or discussions of characterization in the novel. Consider what kinds of sources and evidence you have seen in course readings and lectures. You may wish to see whether the Writing Center has a handout regarding the specific academic field you’re working in—for example, literature , sociology , or history .

What are primary and secondary sources?

A note on terminology: many researchers distinguish between primary and secondary sources of evidence (in this case, “primary” means “first” or “original,” not “most important”). Primary sources include original documents, photographs, interviews, and so forth. Secondary sources present information that has already been processed or interpreted by someone else. For example, if you are writing a paper about the movie “The Matrix,” the movie itself, an interview with the director, and production photos could serve as primary sources of evidence. A movie review from a magazine or a collection of essays about the film would be secondary sources. Depending on the context, the same item could be either a primary or a secondary source: if I am writing about people’s relationships with animals, a collection of stories about animals might be a secondary source; if I am writing about how editors gather diverse stories into collections, the same book might now function as a primary source.

Where can I find evidence?

Here are some examples of sources of information and tips about how to use them in gathering evidence. Ask your instructor if you aren’t sure whether a certain source would be appropriate for your paper.

Print and electronic sources

Books, journals, websites, newspapers, magazines, and documentary films are some of the most common sources of evidence for academic writing. Our handout on evaluating print sources will help you choose your print sources wisely, and the library has a tutorial on evaluating both print sources and websites. A librarian can help you find sources that are appropriate for the type of assignment you are completing. Just visit the reference desk at Davis or the Undergraduate Library or chat with a librarian online (the library’s IM screen name is undergradref).

Observation

Sometimes you can directly observe the thing you are interested in, by watching, listening to, touching, tasting, or smelling it. For example, if you were asked to write about Mozart’s music, you could listen to it; if your topic was how businesses attract traffic, you might go and look at window displays at the mall.

An interview is a good way to collect information that you can’t find through any other type of research. An interview can provide an expert’s opinion, biographical or first-hand experiences, and suggestions for further research.

Surveys allow you to find out some of what a group of people thinks about a topic. Designing an effective survey and interpreting the data you get can be challenging, so it’s a good idea to check with your instructor before creating or administering a survey.

Experiments

Experimental data serve as the primary form of scientific evidence. For scientific experiments, you should follow the specific guidelines of the discipline you are studying. For writing in other fields, more informal experiments might be acceptable as evidence. For example, if you want to prove that food choices in a cafeteria are affected by gender norms, you might ask classmates to undermine those norms on purpose and observe how others react. What would happen if a football player were eating dinner with his teammates and he brought a small salad and diet drink to the table, all the while murmuring about his waistline and wondering how many fat grams the salad dressing contained?

Personal experience

Using your own experiences can be a powerful way to appeal to your readers. You should, however, use personal experience only when it is appropriate to your topic, your writing goals, and your audience. Personal experience should not be your only form of evidence in most papers, and some disciplines frown on using personal experience at all. For example, a story about the microscope you received as a Christmas gift when you were nine years old is probably not applicable to your biology lab report.

Using evidence in an argument

Does evidence speak for itself.

Absolutely not. After you introduce evidence into your writing, you must say why and how this evidence supports your argument. In other words, you have to explain the significance of the evidence and its function in your paper. What turns a fact or piece of information into evidence is the connection it has with a larger claim or argument: evidence is always evidence for or against something, and you have to make that link clear.

As writers, we sometimes assume that our readers already know what we are talking about; we may be wary of elaborating too much because we think the point is obvious. But readers can’t read our minds: although they may be familiar with many of the ideas we are discussing, they don’t know what we are trying to do with those ideas unless we indicate it through explanations, organization, transitions, and so forth. Try to spell out the connections that you were making in your mind when you chose your evidence, decided where to place it in your paper, and drew conclusions based on it. Remember, you can always cut prose from your paper later if you decide that you are stating the obvious.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself about a particular bit of evidence:

• OK, I’ve just stated this point, but so what? Why is it interesting? Why should anyone care?
• What does this information imply?
• What are the consequences of thinking this way or looking at a problem this way?
• I’ve just described what something is like or how I see it, but why is it like that?
• I’ve just said that something happens—so how does it happen? How does it come to be the way it is?
• Why is this information important? Why does it matter?
• How is this idea related to my thesis? What connections exist between them? Does it support my thesis? If so, how does it do that?
• Can I give an example to illustrate this point?

Answering these questions may help you explain how your evidence is related to your overall argument.

How can I incorporate evidence into my paper?

There are many ways to present your evidence. Often, your evidence will be included as text in the body of your paper, as a quotation, paraphrase, or summary. Sometimes you might include graphs, charts, or tables; excerpts from an interview; or photographs or illustrations with accompanying captions.

When you quote, you are reproducing another writer’s words exactly as they appear on the page. Here are some tips to help you decide when to use quotations:

• Quote if you can’t say it any better and the author’s words are particularly brilliant, witty, edgy, distinctive, a good illustration of a point you’re making, or otherwise interesting.
• Quote if you are using a particularly authoritative source and you need the author’s expertise to back up your point.
• Quote if you are analyzing diction, tone, or a writer’s use of a specific word or phrase.
• Quote if you are taking a position that relies on the reader’s understanding exactly what another writer says about the topic.

Be sure to introduce each quotation you use, and always cite your sources. See our handout on quotations for more details on when to quote and how to format quotations.

Like all pieces of evidence, a quotation can’t speak for itself. If you end a paragraph with a quotation, that may be a sign that you have neglected to discuss the importance of the quotation in terms of your argument. It’s important to avoid “plop quotations,” that is, quotations that are just dropped into your paper without any introduction, discussion, or follow-up.

Paraphrasing

When you paraphrase, you take a specific section of a text and put it into your own words. Putting it into your own words doesn’t mean just changing or rearranging a few of the author’s words: to paraphrase well and avoid plagiarism, try setting your source aside and restating the sentence or paragraph you have just read, as though you were describing it to another person. Paraphrasing is different than summary because a paraphrase focuses on a particular, fairly short bit of text (like a phrase, sentence, or paragraph). You’ll need to indicate when you are paraphrasing someone else’s text by citing your source correctly, just as you would with a quotation.

When might you want to paraphrase?

• Paraphrase when you want to introduce a writer’s position, but their original words aren’t special enough to quote.
• Paraphrase when you are supporting a particular point and need to draw on a certain place in a text that supports your point—for example, when one paragraph in a source is especially relevant.
• Paraphrase when you want to present a writer’s view on a topic that differs from your position or that of another writer; you can then refute writer’s specific points in your own words after you paraphrase.
• Paraphrase when you want to comment on a particular example that another writer uses.
• Paraphrase when you need to present information that’s unlikely to be questioned.

When you summarize, you are offering an overview of an entire text, or at least a lengthy section of a text. Summary is useful when you are providing background information, grounding your own argument, or mentioning a source as a counter-argument. A summary is less nuanced than paraphrased material. It can be the most effective way to incorporate a large number of sources when you don’t have a lot of space. When you are summarizing someone else’s argument or ideas, be sure this is clear to the reader and cite your source appropriately.

Statistics, data, charts, graphs, photographs, illustrations

Sometimes the best evidence for your argument is a hard fact or visual representation of a fact. This type of evidence can be a solid backbone for your argument, but you still need to create context for your reader and draw the connections you want them to make. Remember that statistics, data, charts, graph, photographs, and illustrations are all open to interpretation. Guide the reader through the interpretation process. Again, always, cite the origin of your evidence if you didn’t produce the material you are using yourself.

Do I need more evidence?

Let’s say that you’ve identified some appropriate sources, found some evidence, explained to the reader how it fits into your overall argument, incorporated it into your draft effectively, and cited your sources. How do you tell whether you’ve got enough evidence and whether it’s working well in the service of a strong argument or analysis? Here are some techniques you can use to review your draft and assess your use of evidence.

Make a reverse outline

A reverse outline is a great technique for helping you see how each paragraph contributes to proving your thesis. When you make a reverse outline, you record the main ideas in each paragraph in a shorter (outline-like) form so that you can see at a glance what is in your paper. The reverse outline is helpful in at least three ways. First, it lets you see where you have dealt with too many topics in one paragraph (in general, you should have one main idea per paragraph). Second, the reverse outline can help you see where you need more evidence to prove your point or more analysis of that evidence. Third, the reverse outline can help you write your topic sentences: once you have decided what you want each paragraph to be about, you can write topic sentences that explain the topics of the paragraphs and state the relationship of each topic to the overall thesis of the paper.

For tips on making a reverse outline, see our handout on organization .

Color code your paper

You will need three highlighters or colored pencils for this exercise. Use one color to highlight general assertions. These will typically be the topic sentences in your paper. Next, use another color to highlight the specific evidence you provide for each assertion (including quotations, paraphrased or summarized material, statistics, examples, and your own ideas). Lastly, use another color to highlight analysis of your evidence. Which assertions are key to your overall argument? Which ones are especially contestable? How much evidence do you have for each assertion? How much analysis? In general, you should have at least as much analysis as you do evidence, or your paper runs the risk of being more summary than argument. The more controversial an assertion is, the more evidence you may need to provide in order to persuade your reader.

Play devil’s advocate, act like a child, or doubt everything

This technique may be easiest to use with a partner. Ask your friend to take on one of the roles above, then read your paper aloud to them. After each section, pause and let your friend interrogate you. If your friend is playing devil’s advocate, they will always take the opposing viewpoint and force you to keep defending yourself. If your friend is acting like a child, they will question every sentence, even seemingly self-explanatory ones. If your friend is a doubter, they won’t believe anything you say. Justifying your position verbally or explaining yourself will force you to strengthen the evidence in your paper. If you already have enough evidence but haven’t connected it clearly enough to your main argument, explaining to your friend how the evidence is relevant or what it proves may help you to do so.

Common questions and additional resources

• I have a general topic in mind; how can I develop it so I’ll know what evidence I need? And how can I get ideas for more evidence? See our handout on brainstorming .
• Who can help me find evidence on my topic? Check out UNC Libraries .
• I’m writing for a specific purpose; how can I tell what kind of evidence my audience wants? See our handouts on audience , writing for specific disciplines , and particular writing assignments .
• How should I read materials to gather evidence? See our handout on reading to write .
• How can I make a good argument? Check out our handouts on argument and thesis statements .
• How do I tell if my paragraphs and my paper are well-organized? Review our handouts on paragraph development , transitions , and reorganizing drafts .
• How do I quote my sources and incorporate those quotes into my text? Our handouts on quotations and avoiding plagiarism offer useful tips.
• How do I cite my evidence? See the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .
• I think that I’m giving evidence, but my instructor says I’m using too much summary. How can I tell? Check out our handout on using summary wisely.
• I want to use personal experience as evidence, but can I say “I”? We have a handout on when to use “I.”

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Lunsford, Andrea A., and John J. Ruszkiewicz. 2016. Everything’s an Argument , 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Miller, Richard E., and Kurt Spellmeyer. 2016. The New Humanities Reader , 5th ed. Boston: Cengage.

University of Maryland. 2019. “Research Using Primary Sources.” Research Guides. Last updated October 28, 2019. https://lib.guides.umd.edu/researchusingprimarysources .

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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• Knowledge Base
• How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples

How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.

The main goals of an introduction are to:

• Catch your reader’s attention.
• Give background on your topic.
• Present your thesis statement —the central point of your essay.

This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

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Table of contents

Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.

Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.

Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.

Examples: Writing a good hook

Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.

• Braille was an extremely important invention.
• The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly  why the topic is important.

• The internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities.”
• The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education.

Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.

• Mary Shelley’s  Frankenstein is a famous book from the nineteenth century.
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement.

Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.

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Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:

• Historical, geographical, or social context
• An outline of the debate you’re addressing
• A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic
• Definitions of key terms

The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.

How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:

Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.

This is the most important part of your introduction. A  good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.

The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.

Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.

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As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.

For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.

When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.

It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.

To polish your writing, you can use something like a paraphrasing tool .

You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.

Checklist: Essay introduction

My first sentence is engaging and relevant.

I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.

I have defined any important terms.

My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.

Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.

You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.

• Argumentative
• Literary analysis

This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

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Teaching with Jennifer Findley

Upper Elementary Teaching Blog

Text Evidence Activities and Strategies – Tips for Teaching Students to Find Text Evidence

Teaching students to answer constructed response questions correctly and with sufficient text evidence can be quite the feat. A good starting point is to use an acronym such as RACE to help guide the students. But, that is just one part of instruction. The most difficult part is teaching students to find text evidence and then cite it appropriately to fully support their answer or analysis. This post will share my recommended text evidence activities, tips, and strategies (including several free resources).

What is Text Evidence?

Table of Contents

Text evidence is information (facts, details, quotes) from a fiction or nonfiction text that is used to support an inference, claim, opinion, or answer.

Students are often required to include text evidence to support their answers to constructed response questions and extended essays. Text evidence is also important to use when having discussions about texts. It helps back up the student’s thoughts on the text they are reading.

Tips Teaching Students to Find Text Evidence

1. introduce with read alouds and simple activities, teaching text evidence through read alouds.

I like to start introducing the skill of collecting text evidence early on in the year with relevant read alouds.

When reading a picture book or chapter book, give your students a focus question or task and then have them collect evidence by writing it on post-it notes throughout the read aloud.

Here are some examples that are easily adaptable to most read alouds.

Example Prompts for First Reads

• Find evidence of a theme used by the author to teach the reader a lesson.
• Find evidence of the text structure used by the author.
• Find evidence of the character traits displayed by the main character(s).
• Find evidence of the author’s opinion/viewpoint/perspective of the topic.
• Find evidence of the point of view/perspective used to tell the story.

Example Prompts for Second Reads

• Find evidence that the main character is XYZ (sad, greedy, brave, honest, etc.).
• Find evidence that the setting is XYZ (important to the story, the desert, a school, etc.).
• Find evidence that the animal is XYZ (beneficial to humans/ecosystem, harmful, endangered, etc).

This can be a new read aloud or even a familiar read aloud. Familiar read alouds are excellent for digging back into a text to specifically look for evidence to support a point, conclusion, or inference.

After gathering the text evidence, we discuss the evidence we found with partners and then as a class. You could keep this simple with just a class discussion or elevate it by listing the evidence on a chart, ranking the evidence from strongest to weakest, or having the students record their thoughts in a constructed response. For more tips on helping students with constructed response reading questions, click here.

Teaching Text Evidence Through Simple Activities

After introducing the skill of finding relevant text evidence with read alouds, I like to use another text evidence activity that has the students reading texts and finding evidence to support one inference. For this, I use my “What’s the Text Evidence?” reading activities .

To complete the activities , the students will read texts (eight texts per set). They will use text evidence to determine the animal, career, or location (depending on the set) being described. They will then underline or summarize the text evidence that helped them infer.

This activity is a perfect next step because it is both non-threatening and engaging for students.

2. Teach the Importance of Finding Textual Evidence

I also really want to make sure my student understand why they are searching and citing evidence. We discuss how evidence helps in a few ways:

• Text evidence is necessary to support discussions about a text with friends, classmates, or teachers.
• Providing text evidence helps us double check our own answers for accuracy.
• Providing text evidence makes our answers valid and reliable.
• The ability to find and cite text evidence is a life-long skill that will help students throughout school and in their career choice.

Notice how I don’t mention the state test. This is intentional. I want the students to see the purpose beyond a test.

We typically discuss this early on when introducing text evidence and I try and sprinkle it in as it comes up throughout the year. This keeps it from seeming like chore and unnecessary busy work.

***Click here to grab the free printable shown (you can find it on page 2 of the PDF). You can use it to guide your instruction or to craft a text evidence anchor chart.

3. Require Text Evidence in Discussions

One easy way to help your students master text evidence is by requiring they use it in discussions. This can be whole class discussions or peer-to-peer discussions.

A very simple way to do this is using the stem:

I know…because…

Post the stem and remind your students to use this to defend and back up their answers.

As your students become comfortable with using evidence to back up their answers, add more sentence stems or sentence starters for your students to choose from.

However, I like to begin with the easiest one possible for my students while they are getting comfortable with including text evidence in their text discussions. More about the other sentence stems you can offer your students later in this post.

A great activity for discussing text evidence is my “Who is the Speaker?” Printables.

• To complete the printables, the students will read a half-page text from an unknown speaker/narrator. The students will use text evidence to determine who the speaker of the text is. They will also underline and summarize the text evidence that supports their answers.
• I like to partner my students up and give each one a different printable. They have to convince their partner of who the speaker of their text is by using text evidence.

4. Teach Students Multiple Ways of Gathering Evidence

Another practical real-world skill involving evidence is modeling, teaching, and practicing multiple ways of gathering evidence.

Here are some examples:

• Taking notes
• Underlining
• Color coding —> For ready-to-use text evidence activities with color coding embedded, click here.
• Highlighting
• Using marks, numbers, or other symbols

***Click here to grab a printable version of the chart shown to help your students learn the ways they can gather or collect text evidence. You can find it on page 3 of the PDF.

After introducing and modeling the different ways to gather evidence, my students then chose the way that works best for them.

Also, you want to ensure they have practice finding text evidence while:

• Listening to a read aloud
• Reading a book
• Researching on the internet

To provide direct and explicit practice in this area, I use two resources:

1. Find the Evidence Printables 

• To complete the text evidence printables, the students will read a grade level text (mix of fiction and nonfiction). They will then read to see what evidence they are looking for. They will reread the text, find required text evidence, and underline/highlight/or record it.

2. Find the Evidence Task Cards

• This is a similar activity but in task card format. To complete the task cards, the students will read the directions to see what specific text evidence they are looking for. They will then read the text and find that text evidence (again in whatever method of gathering you recommend or they choose). Finally, they will summarize the evidence.

Want to try these for FREE? Enter your information below to have 11 unique Text Evidence Task Cards sent to your email!

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Explicitly Teach Students How to Cite Text Evidence

1. teach students to paraphrase evidence and use direct quotes.

Make sure that you explicitly teach the different ways to cite evidence from the text: quoting and paraphrasing. I do teach both types but, honestly, I prefer to have my students paraphrase the evidence in their own words. This keeps them from plagiarizing and having an answer that is not their original thoughts. With that being said, quoting directly from a text may be a requirement in your state, so I recommend looking into that.

***Click here to download the printables I use to guide my instruction on the different ways to cite text evidence. These can be found on pages 4-6 of the free download.

The Find the Evidence task cards mentioned in the above section work perfectly for practicing citing text evidence because the students’ jobs are to only find the relevant evidence and then summarize it.

2. Provide Sentence Stems

Once your students have become more comfortable with pulling text evidence into their writing and discussions, it is time to provide them with more advanced options for bringing in that evidence.

Click here to download the printable I give my students (and the bookmark version). These are on pages 7 and 8 of the PDF.

3. Teach the Power of 3 (Three Pieces of Text Evidence)

I teach my students the power of 3. This means that they try to provide three pieces of evidence to support their answers. We do talk about how sometimes three pieces of evidence may not be available. However, teaching the power of 3 and that the more evidence you provide, the more difficult it is to refute the answer, keeps students searching for more relevant evidence to use.

**Click here to download the graphic organizer (and another option) shown that will help your students organize their three pieces of evidence. The organizers can be found on pages 9 and 10 of the PDF.

Teaching Students to Explain Text Evidence

The final step is teaching students to explain their text evidence. This is by far the trickiest skill in the entire text evidence process. It’s both difficult to teach and tricky for students to master. This is one reason I recommend waiting until your students have mastered the above skills before even tackling this part.

Here are some strategies I use to help my student understand what it means to explain their evidence, why it is important, and to keep them from just restating their evidence.

1. First, I introduce explaining evidence using a detective analogy. We talk about how detectives collect all of the important and relevant evidence for a case. But they don’t just plop the evidence down on their bosses’ desks. They have to explain how the evidence they collected proves his or her case. You could also use a lawyer/judge analogy for this as well.

2. Next, I provide simple sentence stems to both help my students explain their evidence and reinforce the importance of explaining it to begin with. I do a lot of modeling with this step. It is definitely not a “give them the list and forget about it” strategy. The stems are also very basic and simple for a reason. I want them to understand the purpose of explaining evidence and the difference between explaining it and just restating it. Eventually, the students will move away from this and use varied language (though sometimes this does require more modeling and support from me).

*** Click here to grab the free set of sentence stems posters to help your students explain their evidence.

One text evidence activity that really helps with the skill of explaining text evidence is my “What Does the Text Evidence Reveal?” Task Cards .

For this activity, the students will read a text (mix of fiction and nonfiction). They will analyze the underlined evidence. They will then answer the question, which requires them to write about what the evidence reveals or shows them. This activity is perfect because it allows them to focus explicitly on explaining the text evidence and what it shows.

Want ALL of the Text Evidence Activities Featured on this Post?

Each activity is linked in the section that includes it, but I wanted to make sure that you saw that I have a money saving bundle of all of my text evidence activities. Click here or on the image below to check it out and read more.

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Text Evidence Activities | Citing Text Evidence

Share the knowledge, reader interactions.

April 18, 2020 at 11:09 am

Thank you so much!!!

June 17, 2020 at 2:50 pm

Hi Jennifer,

I love your activities and strategies to help students cite evidence from the text. I am excited to try some of them with my students because I haven’t found a method that is as effective as I would like it to be. I use RACE most often because it is easy for them to remember, but I felt like it isn’t enough. The ways you expanded on that method are great and I will definitely be using them.

One question I have that I’m hoping you have some advice or guidance on is about getting students to realize the importance of citing evidence. I frequently find myself in situations with students where they are either citing the wrong information because they don’t look back through the text or they don’t think they need to justify their thinking. I was wondering if this is something you face or have faced and if you have any suggestions for how to overcome it.

Using the methods you talk about here are definitely going to help with their motivation and engagement, but I am worried that I will still have similar problems. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

August 13, 2020 at 2:04 am

thank you veru much for he free material , for sure I will use it on my online classes. thanks you are really kind

July 26, 2023 at 11:00 pm

I am so overjoyed with excitement to find such overwhelming amount of strategies and hands on activities I can use starting day one of school. Where have you been all summer! I’m glad I still have a few days left of freedom, but I am going to spend them printing and organizing these great ideas. Thank you

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I’m Jennifer Findley: a teacher, mother, and avid reader. I believe that with the right resources, mindset, and strategies, all students can achieve at high levels and learn to love learning. My goal is to provide resources and strategies to inspire you and help make this belief a reality for your students.

How to Introduce Evidence in an Essay Appropriately

One of the most important elements of any academic paper is the evidence. However, some folks use it inappropriately. Accordingly, you should learn how to introduce evidence in an essay. Otherwise, all your efforts will be done in vain.

Firstly, you should set up the evidence in the beginning of the paragraph. Of course, the evidence ought to be used in the main plot. The introductory section serves only for general concepts. The evidence is used afterward to strengthen your main purpose.

The evidence tells the reader what you wish to discuss and the way you want to support your main argument. The setup of the evidence may be finished in 1-2 sentences. That is some sort of launching.

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The evidence in essay writing is logically connected with the thesis statement. You cannot implement facts, which have no relation to your topic. It’s likewise forbidden to implement a distant relation. Your facts must fully reflect your central idea.

What Is Evidence in an Essay and Its Importance?

So, what is evidence in an essay? That is the direct support of your thesis statement. You cannot simply make a claim about certain things and tell that your opinion is correct. You are supposed to prove that your theory is the right one. It can be done through the use of the real facts.

• Prior to introducing evidence in an essay, you should be entirely sure that it can be trusted. Always verify the data you gather. Some “expert” thoughts of different bloggers have no relation to the official facts.
• Therefore, you should find out which information sources can be trusted. Ask your academic supervisor, friends, peer-students, etc.
• Finally, you may surf the Internet and use keywords to find the trustworthy data. For example, if you look for technology evidence, seek “trustworthy websites about technology.”

In the event, you have a narrower search direction, use it. Thus, you’ll find the required feedback much faster.

How to Use Evidence in an Essay Correctly and Easily

Many students are anxious concerning the matter of how to use evidence in an essay. Begin with a simple approach. Your proof should appear in the quote you are going to use to support your arguments. Launch it at the beginning. It may sound like this “In accordance with the data…”, “The statistic shows…”, “The research revealed…” Mind that it’s needed to put a comma after such constructions.

Launch the evidence through a claim. It is supposed to be brief and informative. Use plain words without any unknown or complicated terms. Use the general lexicon. It may appear like this “The survey shows that approximately 80% of smokers suffer from lung cancer throughout the globe.”

You ought to support evidence in an essay. After you introduce a piece of information, you should develop it. You cannot simply mention some facts without giving additional data. Thus, you’ll smoothly work it into the text in larger amounts. Nonetheless, don’t overdo. The long-winded parts are confusing and ineffective.

It’s necessary to mention the author’s name, as well as the title of his/her article/book. Of course, these facts should be used in accordance with the assigned writing format.

Don’t forget to explain evidence in an essay. Define the way your argument is supported. You should reveal the significance of the facts used in your project. Your readers should plainly realize your methods. Make sure they understand where your own opinion is and where you use informative sources.

Identify how your evidence addresses the theme. Put control questions. If the answers are associated with the main topic and fully reflect it, then you have done everything correctly. Under the condition, the control questions didn’t bring the expected result you should alter the way you introduce your evidence. As you can see, this matter is important and very difficult.

At the end of your explanations, you are expected to make a smooth conversion to the conclusion. That is the defining chapter of the whole research. It likewise contains the main outcomes of the evidence you’ve used. Mention the significance of your research and interpret the outcomes.

Evidence Essay Outline: General Example

If you struggle with the creation of your outline, we’ll resolve this issue. There is a pretty simple sample of an outline, which will help you to organize your thoughts. Your evidence essay outline should look like this:

• Focus question;
• Thesis statement;
• Evidence #1,2,3;
• Conclusion statement.

It’s necessary to mention a general idea concerning your paper. Afterward, implement the thesis. Here goes the evidence block. Commonly, students write 5-paragraph assignments. Accordingly, the main plot contains three paragraphs. Use 3 points for every paragraph. Don’t mix them. Discuss one point at a time. In the end, conclude the results obtained with the help of the facts you used.

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Using Evidence: Analysis

Beyond introducing and integrating your paraphrases and quotations, you also need to analyze the evidence in your paragraphs. Analysis is your opportunity to contextualize and explain the evidence for your reader. Your analysis might tell the reader why the evidence is important, what it means, or how it connects to other ideas in your writing.

Note that analysis often leads to synthesis , an extension and more complicated form of analysis. See our synthesis page for more information.

Example 1 of Analysis

Without analysis.

Embryonic stem cell research uses the stem cells from an embryo, causing much ethical debate in the scientific and political communities (Robinson, 2011). "Politicians don't know science" (James, 2010, p. 24). Academic discussion of both should continue (Robinson, 2011).

With Analysis (Added in Bold)

Embryonic stem cell research uses the stem cells from an embryo, causing much ethical debate in the scientific and political communities (Robinson, 2011). However, many politicians use the issue to stir up unnecessary emotion on both sides of the issues. James (2010) explained that "politicians don't know science," (p. 24) so scientists should not be listening to politics. Instead, Robinson (2011) suggested that academic discussion of both embryonic and adult stem cell research should continue in order for scientists to best utilize their resources while being mindful of ethical challenges.

Note that in the first example, the reader cannot know how the quotation fits into the paragraph. Also, note that the word both was unclear. In the revision, however, that the writer clearly (a) explained the quotations as well as the source material, (b) introduced the information sufficiently, and (c) integrated the ideas into the paragraph.

Example 2 of Analysis

Trow (1939) measured the effects of emotional responses on learning and found that student memorization dropped greatly with the introduction of a clock. Errors increased even more when intellectual inferiority regarding grades became a factor (Trow, 1939). The group that was allowed to learn free of restrictions from grades and time limits performed better on all tasks (Trow, 1939).

In this example, the author has successfully paraphrased the key findings from a study. However, there is no conclusion being drawn about those findings. Readers have a difficult time processing the evidence without some sort of ending explanation, an answer to the question so what? So what about this study? Why does it even matter?

Trow (1939) measured the effects of emotional responses on learning and found that student memorization dropped greatly with the introduction of a clock. Errors increased even more when intellectual inferiority regarding grades became a factor (Trow, 1939). The group that was allowed to learn free of restrictions from grades and time limits performed better on all tasks (Trow, 1939). Therefore, negative learning environments and students' emotional reactions can indeed hinder achievement.

Here the meaning becomes clear. The study’s findings support the claim the reader is making: that school environment affects achievement.

Analysis Video Playlist

Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.

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Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance

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Presentation 101: How to Make a Powerful Introduction in Presentation

When you give a presentation, how do you start? Do you just briefly introduce yourself and the topic and then start the presentation? Of course, this is what most speakers do. In principle, there is nothing wrong with starting a talk this way. But it tends to bore the audience. Using an interesting introduction at the beginning of a speech not only grabs attention, it sets the mood and tone for the speech. In addition, a successful opening can relieve tension by giving the speaker hope. So today we're going to look at 8 ways to make an interesting introduction, with examples.

Why is it so important to have a strong introduction in your presentation?

A good start is half the battle. A strong start is vital in a presentation. Typically, presentations begin with a brief introduction. Here are some reasons that a strong introduction in presentation is so important:

1.Capture the audience's attention: Audience attention spans are short, especially in today's fast-paced world. A strong introduction will grab your audience's attention right from the start, making it more likely that they will stay engaged for the entirety of your presentation.

2.Establish your credibility: Your credibility is established by an effective introduction. It's an opportunity to briefly introduce yourself, what you know about the topic, and why you're qualified to speak about it. This helps build trust and confidence with your audience.

3.Set the tone: Introducing sets the tone for how the presentation goes. It gives your audience an idea of what to expect and helps them understand the purpose and importance of your presentation.

4.Provide key context: A good introduction sets the context for your presentation. It helps your audience understand why the topic matters, how it relates to them, and what they can expect to learn or gain from listening to your talk.

5.Engage your audience: An engaging introduction can pique your audience's curiosity and create a desire for more information. Stories, humor, and powerful statistics are all ways to engage your audience and get them to listen.

Eight tips of using interesting ways to introduce a presentation:

1.Share a short story or anecdote. Begin your presentation by sharing an engaging short story, which then leads to the topic of your presentation. Beginning with a story enriches the content of the speech, introduces the point naturally, and stimulates the audience's interest.

e.g. " When I was young, my dad loved watching NBA games. I didn't know what the NBA was at that time, but I remembered that the players' performances fascinated me, and from then on, I loved playing basketball, and the NBA accompanied me as I grew up. Therefore, today I would like to share the profound influence of NBA on me."

2.Start with a shocking statistic. Data is a very visual and powerfully powerful element. Typically, beginning a presentation with data clearly conveys the relevance of the topic and engages the audience.

e.g. "Did you know. According to the WMO, 2023 was the hottest year on record, with the global average near-surface temperature 1.45 degrees Celsius (0.12 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, making the past 10 years the hottest on record. Global warming has already brought about dramatic changes across the globe. Today, I’m here to talk about global warming.”

3.Begin with a relevant quote. Quoting an influential person is one of the easiest ways to start a presentation. Quotes are extremely influential, especially the more famous they are. The choice of quotes can make it more like the audience knows what the speech is about.

e.g. "As Ada Lovelace says, ‘The more I study, the more insatiable do I feel my genius for it to be’. As the world's first computer programmer, Ada Lovelace had made a great contribution in AI. Let’s explore how Ada Lovelace change this world with AI.”

4.Ask a thought-provoking question. Most presentation know that start a presentation with a question will increase audience participation. This way would also make the audience think and take questions to engage with the presentation.

e.g. "If you had the ability to develop a weapon that did so much damage, would you build it? If this weapon was used in war, would you continue to build it? This question is what Oppenheimer faced. In this presentation, we’ll dive into the legend life of Oppenheimer.”

5.Use a relevant analogy or metaphor. Using a relevant analogy or metaphor is also a effective way to make your introduction interesting. This way can simplify complex ideas, enhance understanding, and make the topic more relatable and memorable for the audience.

e.g. "Launching a startup is like planting a seed. It requires nurturing, patience, and the right conditions to grow into a thriving business. In this presentation, we'll delve into the essential ingredients for startup success."

6.Begin with a compelling image or visual: Visuals are a powerful communication tool. We can transmit information quickly to the brain through visuals. Image material can visualize the main object and the main message of the presentation, allowing the audience to look at it with a goal in mind.

e.g. "This image represents the devastating impact of plastic pollution on our oceans. Today, we'll explore sustainable solutions to combat this environmental crisis."

7.Begin with “imagine”. The imagination of the human brain is infinite. When we start imagining about a certain point of view, behavior, or thing, we have many kinds of imagined results. Starting with imagination will make the audience actively listen.

e.g. "Imagine you're a project manager leading a team through a major crisis. How do you navigate the challenges and keep your team motivated? Today, we'll discuss strategies for effective crisis management."

8.Begin with a teaser or provocative statement. Starting with a teaser or provocative statement can hook the audience's curiosity from the outset, compelling them to lean in and listen attentively. It ignites intrigue, setting the stage for a captivating presentation that stimulates critical thinking and discussion.

e.g. "In a world where technology is advancing at lightning speed, are we at risk of losing our humanity? Today, we'll explore the intersection of technology and humanity, and what it means for our future."

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