Types of Supporting Materials

There are a number of types of supporting materials, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Not every type of supporting material is useful or effective in every situation, but each has its own niche.

Scientific Evidence

Scientific evidence is evidence which serves to either support or counter a scientific theory or hypothesis. Such evidence is expected to be empirical and in accordance with scientific method. Standards for scientific evidence vary according to the field of inquiry, but the strength of scientific evidence is generally based on the results of statistical analysis and the strength of scientific controls.More broadly, scientific evidence can be any statistic or fact that has been proven to be true through rigorous scientific methods. Facts and figures are necessary for logical appeals .

Personal Experience

Personal experience is the retelling of something that actually happened to the speaker. Personal experience is useful for emotional appeals, but is not always good for more scientific arguments.

Anecdotal Evidence

Anecdotal evidence is evidence from anecdotes (stories). Because of the small sample, there is a larger chance that it may be unreliable due to cherry-picked or otherwise non-representative samples of typical cases. Anecdotal evidence is considered dubious support for a claim; it is accepted only in lieu of more solid evidence. However, it is particularly useful for making emotional appeals.

Intuition

Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason. Intuition provides us with beliefs that we cannot justify in every case. For this reason, intuition is not a particularly strong supporting material.

Testimonial

A testimonial is when someone speaks on behalf of another idea, product, or person. For example, weight loss commercials often utilize testimonials. The power lies in how convincing the person giving the testimonial is.