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Scholarly Writing
One of the central features of scholarly writing is the use of evidence to make an argument. You must learn how to incorporate other scholars' writing and arguments into your own.
Why is using evidence important in scholarly writing? Why can’t we just write our own thoughts? The social sciences rely on research and studies. To prove a point, we need to show where our ideas come from because scholarly writing builds on previous work, creating a larger conversation. Using research also makes our writing more credible and less biased. The goal is to present facts supported by research, allowing readers to form their own opinions.
All writing instructors at Walden drink a lot of orange juice. They drink more orange juice because it gives them energy and makes them more intelligent.
Without evidence, I can’t prove to you, my reader, that what I’m saying is true. I’m just presenting information and making conclusions without any context or support. Evidence gives both the writer and the readers the necessary context and backing for the claims made.
A recent survey of Walden writing instructors found that 80% drink at least two glasses of orange juice daily. Smith (2024) found a strong correlation between orange juice and increased energy and intelligence. Instructors reported that orange juice boosts their energy and helps them solve complex writing issues.
Evidence is essential to support our claims, which is why scholarly writing is such a rigorous and credible source of information.
When we mention evidence, you might picture a crime scene with investigators gathering clues to solve a case. This association isn’t far off. In that context, evidence consists of proof and clues that help investigators piece together information they receive second-hand. In scholarly writing, “evidence” refers to research that serves as proof or support to build an argument. If the idea of finding evidence feels overwhelming, don’t worry! You’ll be reading numerous articles and works in your field for your coursework at Walden. The good news is that all of this is evidence! Not only will you find evidence for your own papers, but you’ll also see how these articles use evidence, allowing you to adopt similar approaches in your scholarly writing.
To put it simply: Evidence is research you have conducted to support your points and ideas. This might be quotations (direct wording from a source), paraphrases (you rephrasing an idea from a source), or summaries (you summarizing findings or information).
There are several types of evidence you will find as you research for scholarly work through course readings and your own efforts. In your early classes you will also receive prompts with specific topics to explore, which will help you focus your research. When you find an article, book, webpage, or other useful information, make sure to save it! You can utilize this information in your coursework in two primary ways.
Paraphrase-Review the source material and rewrite it using your own unique sentence structure. Then, incorporate this rephrased content into your paragraph, ensuring you include a citation.
Quotation-Directly repeat the exact wording from the source, place it within quotation marks, and add a citation. Keep in mind that APA guidelines suggest using quotations sparingly and favoring paraphrasing whenever possible.
There are specific times you will want to use evidence:
Using evidence appropriately also means citing your sources every time you use information that is not originally your own. Whether paraphrasing or quoting, you must use in-text citations.
"APA is essential to all Walden students” (Timmerman, 2013, p. 43).
Timmerman (2013) wrote, “APA is essential to all Walden students” (p. 43).
Timmerman (2013) wrote, “APA is essential to all Walden students” (p. 43). According to Prince (2013), APA’s main purpose is to provide consistency for publications within a field of study.
Because APA’s main purpose is to provide consistency for publications within a field of study (Prince, 2013), one can see how Timmerman’s (2013) statement, “APA is essential to all Walden students” (p. 43), is accurate.
Because APA’s main purpose is to provide consistency for publications within a field of study (Prince, 2013), one can see how Timmerman’s (2013) statement, “APA is essential to all Walden students” (p. 43), is accurate. For clarity, Walden students must maintain consistency with others in their field of study.