ABSTRACT

Phelan and Reynolds' book is for anyone who needs to evaluate arguments and interpret evidence. It deals with the most fundamental aspects of academic study:
* the ability to reason with ideas and evidence
* to formulate arguments effectively
* to appreciate the interplay between ideas and evidence in academic and media debate
Argument and Evidence presents aspects of informal logic and statistical theory in a comprehensible way, enabling students to acquire skills in critical thinking which will outlast their undergraduate studies. Ideal as a companion for courses on methodology or study skills, Argument and Evidence will also be useful for other disciplines in the social sciences and humanities.

chapter 1|11 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|14 pages

Argument and evidence

chapter 3|8 pages

Context, convention and communication

chapter 4|11 pages

An informal analysis of arguments

chapter 5|13 pages

Patterns of reasoning

chapter 6|17 pages

Establishing validity

chapter 7|11 pages

Critical analysis in practice

chapter |3 pages

Tories ignore crime study

chapter 8|10 pages

Assumptions

chapter 9|11 pages

Evidence as ground for belief

chapter 10|17 pages

What counts as evidence?

chapter 11|21 pages

Presenting and summarising evidence

chapter 12|12 pages

Furthering knowledge

chapter 13|15 pages

Probability and uncertainty

chapter 14|12 pages

Probability theory applied

chapter 15|18 pages

Estimation and reliability

chapter 16|18 pages

Testing hypotheses