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Claims and Evidence ■ Relevant and Sufficient Evidence 95

While all evidence should be accurate, not all evidence must be recent in
order to be accurate. For example, an article on climate change requires evidence
from the most recent scientific studies in order to be accurate; however, a study CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE
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on the works of William Shakespeare could draw upon evidence that was written
hundreds of years ago and still be accurate.
As you evaluate the effectiveness of an argument, you should consider the
evidence. Some readers use the STAR mnemonic as they evaluate and select evi-
dence for their arguments.

EVALUATING EVIDENCE
Sufficient Is there enough evidence to support each reason? Is there enough to be convincing?
Typical Is the evidence plausible and representative of the issue?
Is the evidence reasonable?
Accurate How recent should the evidence be in order to be accurate?
Is the evidence relatable, recent, and accurate?
Relevant Is the information relevant to the reason and claim, not just the topic?
Does the evidence connect to the claim?

INSIDER Writers strategically include and exclude evidence.
TIP Even though a writer may share the same message with
multiple audiences, that writer doesn’t necessarily use the
exact same evidence with every audience. Considering
what is excluded is as important as recognizing what is included.

AP ® SKILLS CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE
PRACTICE Selecting Evidence for an Audience

Think about the same claim you might make to two different audiences. Then,
think about the two different audiences. Make a list of the information you
could use as evidence. Considering the two different audiences, identify which
evidence would be appropriate for each of them.

Claim:
Audience A: Audience B:
Evidence: Evidence:

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