Week 5 - Considering Evidence, Including Statistics

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Introduction

One of the elements of reasoning, information, includes evidence. Evidence or data should not be confused with an interpretation or conclusion derived from data.  Evidence is the raw data or initial findings by which probability is validated. The most common and credible forms of evidence are research findings, from statistical and/or descriptive research, and expert testimony, based on professional familiarity with the research and thinking of a particular discipline or profession.  Other forms of evidence exist, but may be problematic. For instance, personal experience or informal observation is often the only evidence offered by weak sense critical thinkers.  They uncritically believe that anyone would surely see the same phenomenon from the same viewpoint as do they.  The uncritical thinker also blurrs the boundary between data and interpretation of data, often confusing the latter for the former.