Argument and Evidence

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.

Peter J. Phelan, Peter J. Reynolds

Preface 1.Introduction 2.Argument and Evidence 3.Context, Convention and Communication 4.An Informal Analysis of Arguments 5.Patterns of Reasoning 6.Establising Validity 7.Critical Analysis in Practice 7.Assumptions 8.Evidence as Ground Belief 10.What Counts as Evidence? 11.Pesenting and Summarizing Evidence 12.Furthering Knowledge 13.Probability and Uncertainty 14.Probability Theory Applied 15.Estimation and Reliability 16.Testing Hypotheses Appendices Glossary References