Glf:Credible and Persuasive Evidence

Introduction

In writing for the JFA Wiki or other media we want to make a credible and non-hyperbolic case for the ideas we are presenting. For purposes of advocacy and outreach, we also want our information to be concisely summarized because if we are not brief and to the point, we may lose our audience. Yet information should be presented in the most persuasive and convincing manner.

But it would be disingenuous to relinquish a degree of credibility in order to make an argument more persuasive. This article discusses how we can make our arguments more convincing without sacrificing credibility. There will be tradeoffs between brevity and persuasiveness, but we should not trade away credibility.

The articles on the JFA Wiki, are, in a sense, wholesaling information that will then be passed on to others in discussions, presentations, and perhaps in writing. Our audience, for the most part, is the proverbial choir, and we want to help the choir sing in a manner that will resonate with their audiences.

Our content guidelines call for all factual statements which are not general knowledge to be accompanied by a citation or citations from a credible source or sources. But we must also be mindful of what evidence we choose amid a sea of possibilities. Then we should consider our choice of words in summarizing and presenting the evidence. Finally, we should be aware of the importance of our tone and demeanor when delivering the message.

Choosing the Evidence

How persuasive we are will depend on:

• What evidence we choose from numerous possibilities

If multiple sources are credible, choose the most persuasive ones.

• Our choice of words in presenting the evidence
• Our demeanor when presenting the evidence

Experts Assertions

recognizable institutions (Mayo Clinic) dietary associations organizations with powerful names (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) individuals with extraordinary credentials in a related field that can be named, i.e. "Dr. Jane Doe, past president of the American Heart Association, said that...." Try to avoid using individuals with names that are not recognizable to the general public unless they have powerfully convincing credentials in the pertinent field.

Research Studies

Investigations