What does it mean to “analyze your evidence”?

Question

Classic paragraph structure in scholarly papers includes a topic sentence followed by both evidence and analysis. But what is analysis exactly? In an academic paper, how do you effectively analyze your evidence without simply giving your opinion about it?

Answer 1

To analyze something is to take it apart and examine the pieces (the suffix -lysis means "break"). So if you're being asked to "analyze evidence," your task is to look closely at each piece of evidence, split it up into meaningful parts, and identify the significance (if any) of each of those parts.

It's a little easier to understand what "analyze" means when you contrast it with similar-but-different verbs like "assess" (where you're supposed to decide how valuable or useful something is) or "react" (where you're supposed to share your thoughts, feelings, and/or opinions about it). The important distinction here is that analysis is supposed to be objective and matter-of-fact, whereas assessment can be opinionated and reaction can be overtly biased.

How about a quick example?

Let's suppose you're reviewing security-cam footage of a robbery. If you're being asked to analyze a piece of footage, you might watch it very carefully and make a time-stamped list of key moments (you see the robber enter at Time A, you see them produce a weapon at Time B, you see them leave at Time C, and so on). An assessment of that same footage might take similar stock of the details, but with a specific question in mind, like whether or not the footage is useful for identifying the perpetrator.

Answer 2

The introduction gives the background information to the issue that your are examining. These elements tie together the position or proposition that you are choosing if you are defending a subpoint or if you want to demonstrate a pro stance; but if you're against the action or con, you set out the contrary evidence with opposing (expert) opinions in your thesis, proving a direction to the statements or main thesis. Each paragraph is a prong or subpoint of the introduction's proposition.

The paragraphs are strings presenting the experts opinions, narratives of examples, debatable facts, and cause/effect results. Transitions are important. Just follow along

Answer 3

Analysis provides a detailed examination on the features of something. Thus, you are "unpacking" your evidence. When analyzing your evidence in an essay, you are explaining how and why the evidence relates to your topic sentence. In other words, why did you choose a particular example as your evidence and how does it prove your point? Then you explain why the point made in the body paragraph is important in terms of your thesis. To effectively analyze your evidence without giving your opinion about it, focus on explaining the information and how it relates to your claim in terms of what the author is saying instead of your personal interpretation.