{"id":1296,"date":"2025-04-24T17:09:54","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T17:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=1296"},"modified":"2025-07-30T21:59:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T21:59:03","slug":"the-writing-process-background-youll-need-1","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/the-writing-process-background-youll-need-1\/","title":{"raw":"The Writing Process: Background You'll Need","rendered":"The Writing Process: Background You&#8217;ll Need"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Explain why using evidence is important for a strong argument<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2>What is Evidence?<\/h2>\r\nHave you ever heard the term \u201c<strong>Exhibit A<\/strong>?\u201d\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"886\" data-end=\"1189\">In a trial, an <strong data-start=\"959\" data-end=\"970\">exhibit<\/strong> is a piece of physical or documentary evidence shown to the jury \u2014 like a letter, photo, or document \u2014 to help prove a point. Exhibits are labeled Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C, and so on, to keep them organized.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1191\" data-end=\"1331\">Jurors are instructed to base their decisions only on the evidence presented in the trial.[footnote]American Bar Association \u201cHow Courts Work\u201d https:\/\/www.americanbar.org\/groups\/public_education\/resources\/law_related_education_network\/how_courts_work\/juryinstruct\/[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"\" data-start=\"1338\" data-end=\"1372\">Evidence in Academic Writing<\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1374\" data-end=\"1641\">When you read an academic article or essay, you are like the jury. The writer is making a claim and presenting <strong data-start=\"1491\" data-end=\"1503\">evidence<\/strong> to convince you their claim is true. Think of each paragraph as its own \"exhibit\" \u2014 each one supports the larger argument of the essay.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1645\" data-end=\"1720\"><strong data-start=\"1645\" data-end=\"1661\">Key sentence<\/strong> (topic sentence): States the main idea of the paragraph.<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1723\" data-end=\"1829\"><strong data-start=\"1723\" data-end=\"1745\">Supporting details<\/strong> (evidence): Provide examples, facts, or explanations that back up the key sentence.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_114\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"354\"]<img class=\"wp-image-114\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5208\/2020\/04\/20033933\/Otago_Dancers_human_pyramid_2-300x300.png\" alt=\"A human pyramid with three people on the bottom, two in the middle, and one on top. The top person is labeled &quot;Thesis&quot;, the middle two are labeled &quot;Key Sentences of Paragraphs&quot;, and the bottom three are labeled &quot;Supporting Details or Evidence in Paragraphs&quot;\" width=\"354\" height=\"354\" \/> Figure 1. Just as the key sentences in the paragraphs support the overall thesis claim of the essay, the supporting details in each paragraph support the key sentence of the paragraph.[\/caption]\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1831\" data-end=\"1895\">Just like in a trial, strong writing depends on strong evidence. Therefore, you want to gather your evidence first before deciding on your claim, so you can build a stronger, more supported argument.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 data-start=\"1902\" data-end=\"1940\">How Evidence Builds an Argument<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1942\" data-end=\"1981\">Imagine an argument like a <strong data-start=\"1969\" data-end=\"1980\">pyramid<\/strong>:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1984\" data-end=\"2029\">The <strong data-start=\"1988\" data-end=\"1998\">thesis<\/strong> (overall claim) is at the top.<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"2032\" data-end=\"2091\">The <strong data-start=\"2036\" data-end=\"2053\">key sentences<\/strong> of each paragraph support the thesis.<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"2094\" data-end=\"2156\">The <strong data-start=\"2098\" data-end=\"2110\">evidence<\/strong> in each paragraph supports the key sentences.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2158\" data-end=\"2277\">Evidence is the foundation \u2014 it holds the entire structure together. Without valid or credible evidence, the argument collapses.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 data-start=\"2158\" data-end=\"2277\">Evidence in Different Disciplines<\/h3>\r\n<p data-start=\"2158\" data-end=\"2277\">What is valid or credible evidence changes according to the academic discipline.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_114\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-114\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-114\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<h4>Evidence in the Humanities: Literature, Art, Film, Music, Philosophy<\/h4>\r\n<div class=\"most-common-evidence-used-by-authors\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Scholarly essays that analyze original works<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Details from an image, a film, or other work of art<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Passages from a musical composition<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Passages of text, including poetry<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h4>Evidence in the Humanities: History<\/h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Primary Sources (photos, letters, maps, official documents, etc.)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Other books or articles that interpret primary sources or other evidence.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h4>Evidence in the Social Sciences: Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Anthropology<\/h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Books or articles that interpret data and results from other people\u2019s original experiments or studies.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Results from one\u2019s own field research (including interviews, surveys, observations, etc.)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Data from one\u2019s own experiments<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Statistics derived from large studies<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h4>Evidence in the Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics<\/h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Data from the author of the paper\u2019s own experiments<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Books or articles that interpret data and results from other people\u2019s original experiments or studies.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<section class=\"textbox proTip\" aria-label=\"Pro Tip\">It is important to remember that evidence NEVER speaks for itself. Any evidence used to support a position must be explained \u2013 the author of the text must prove that the evidence supports their thesis.\u00a0<\/section><section aria-label=\"Try It\"><\/section><section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\">[ohm2_question hide_question_numbers=1]40658[\/ohm2_question]\r\n[ohm2_question hide_question_numbers=1]40659[\/ohm2_question]\r\n\r\n<\/section><\/div>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\n<ul>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Explain why using evidence is important for a strong argument<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h2>What is Evidence?<\/h2>\n<p>Have you ever heard the term \u201c<strong>Exhibit A<\/strong>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"886\" data-end=\"1189\">In a trial, an <strong data-start=\"959\" data-end=\"970\">exhibit<\/strong> is a piece of physical or documentary evidence shown to the jury \u2014 like a letter, photo, or document \u2014 to help prove a point. Exhibits are labeled Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C, and so on, to keep them organized.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1191\" data-end=\"1331\">Jurors are instructed to base their decisions only on the evidence presented in the trial.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"American Bar Association \u201cHow Courts Work\u201d https:\/\/www.americanbar.org\/groups\/public_education\/resources\/law_related_education_network\/how_courts_work\/juryinstruct\/\" id=\"return-footnote-1296-1\" href=\"#footnote-1296-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"\" data-start=\"1338\" data-end=\"1372\">Evidence in Academic Writing<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1374\" data-end=\"1641\">When you read an academic article or essay, you are like the jury. The writer is making a claim and presenting <strong data-start=\"1491\" data-end=\"1503\">evidence<\/strong> to convince you their claim is true. Think of each paragraph as its own &#8220;exhibit&#8221; \u2014 each one supports the larger argument of the essay.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"1645\" data-end=\"1720\"><strong data-start=\"1645\" data-end=\"1661\">Key sentence<\/strong> (topic sentence): States the main idea of the paragraph.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1723\" data-end=\"1829\"><strong data-start=\"1723\" data-end=\"1745\">Supporting details<\/strong> (evidence): Provide examples, facts, or explanations that back up the key sentence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_114\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-114\" style=\"width: 354px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-114\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5208\/2020\/04\/20033933\/Otago_Dancers_human_pyramid_2-300x300.png\" alt=\"A human pyramid with three people on the bottom, two in the middle, and one on top. The top person is labeled &quot;Thesis&quot;, the middle two are labeled &quot;Key Sentences of Paragraphs&quot;, and the bottom three are labeled &quot;Supporting Details or Evidence in Paragraphs&quot;\" width=\"354\" height=\"354\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-114\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 1. Just as the key sentences in the paragraphs support the overall thesis claim of the essay, the supporting details in each paragraph support the key sentence of the paragraph.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1831\" data-end=\"1895\">Just like in a trial, strong writing depends on strong evidence. Therefore, you want to gather your evidence first before deciding on your claim, so you can build a stronger, more supported argument.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1902\" data-end=\"1940\">How Evidence Builds an Argument<\/h3>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1942\" data-end=\"1981\">Imagine an argument like a <strong data-start=\"1969\" data-end=\"1980\">pyramid<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"1984\" data-end=\"2029\">The <strong data-start=\"1988\" data-end=\"1998\">thesis<\/strong> (overall claim) is at the top.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2032\" data-end=\"2091\">The <strong data-start=\"2036\" data-end=\"2053\">key sentences<\/strong> of each paragraph support the thesis.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2094\" data-end=\"2156\">The <strong data-start=\"2098\" data-end=\"2110\">evidence<\/strong> in each paragraph supports the key sentences.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2158\" data-end=\"2277\">Evidence is the foundation \u2014 it holds the entire structure together. Without valid or credible evidence, the argument collapses.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2158\" data-end=\"2277\">Evidence in Different Disciplines<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2158\" data-end=\"2277\">What is valid or credible evidence changes according to the academic discipline.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_114\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-114\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-114\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Evidence in the Humanities: Literature, Art, Film, Music, Philosophy<\/h4>\n<div class=\"most-common-evidence-used-by-authors\">\n<ul>\n<li>Scholarly essays that analyze original works<\/li>\n<li>Details from an image, a film, or other work of art<\/li>\n<li>Passages from a musical composition<\/li>\n<li>Passages of text, including poetry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Evidence in the Humanities: History<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Primary Sources (photos, letters, maps, official documents, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Other books or articles that interpret primary sources or other evidence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Evidence in the Social Sciences: Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Anthropology<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Books or articles that interpret data and results from other people\u2019s original experiments or studies.<\/li>\n<li>Results from one\u2019s own field research (including interviews, surveys, observations, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Data from one\u2019s own experiments<\/li>\n<li>Statistics derived from large studies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Evidence in the Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Data from the author of the paper\u2019s own experiments<\/li>\n<li>Books or articles that interpret data and results from other people\u2019s original experiments or studies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<section class=\"textbox proTip\" aria-label=\"Pro Tip\">It is important to remember that evidence NEVER speaks for itself. Any evidence used to support a position must be explained \u2013 the author of the text must prove that the evidence supports their thesis.\u00a0<\/section>\n<section aria-label=\"Try It\"><\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm40658\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=40658&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm40658&source=tnh\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm40659\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=40659&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm40659&source=tnh\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-1296-1\">American Bar Association \u201cHow Courts Work\u201d https:\/\/www.americanbar.org\/groups\/public_education\/resources\/law_related_education_network\/how_courts_work\/juryinstruct\/ <a href=\"#return-footnote-1296-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":14,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":202,"module-header":"background_you_need","content_attributions":[],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1296"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1296\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3450,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1296\/revisions\/3450"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/202"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1296\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1296"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1296"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}