Sufficient Evidence: Is There Enough?

Judge whether an author provides enough evidence to support a claim.

Evidence can be relevant and still not sufficient. Sufficient means there is enough evidence, of good enough quality, to support the claim. A broad claim needs strong, varied support. Consider: 'Video games improve problem-solving skills for all teenagers. ' The author's only support: 'My cousin plays puzzle games and is great at math. ' The evidence is relevant, since it connects games and problem-solving, but it is one person, and 'all teenagers' is a huge claim. That is not sufficient.

Stronger support might include a study of hundreds of teens, results from more than one research team, and examples of different game types. When judging sufficiency, ask three questions. How big is the claim? How much evidence is there? How reliable is it? A modest claim, such as 'Some puzzle games may help with certain skills', needs less support. Often the fix for insufficient evidence is not more evidence but a more careful claim.

• 1Sufficient means enough evidence of good quality.
• 2Big claims need strong, varied support.
• 3Ask: how big is the claim, how much evidence, how reliable?