What supporting evidence is offered?
-
Statistics?
-
Where did the statistics come from?
-
Can they be trusted?
-
Are relevant comparative statistics revealed?
-
20% of smokers die of lung cancer
-
What percentage of non-smokers die of lung cancer?
-
"Universities receive more funding now than ever before" - David Kemp
-
Without comparative figures, statistics like these are inconclusive (but deceptively persuasive)
-
Correlation
-
Is the relationship cause and effect
-
Are there other relevant factors?
-
Parents who have multiple car accidents are likely to
have children who also have multiple car accidents...so?
-
Surveys
-
Sample size
-
Derivation
-
Leading questions
-
"Product X is the greatest thing since sliced bread"
-
Appeal to authority
-
Who is the "authority"?
-
Is he or she an authority on this topic?
-
What are the authority's motives?
-
What is the authority's reputation?
-
Can the authority be trusted?
-
Isolated examples
-
"I have a friend who..."
-
"I know a case where..."
-
Graphs
Back to cse1304 notes index |
Previous Page |
Next Page: Graphs
Copyright ©; Monash University,
Semester 1 2005