Evaluating Evidence PROP Procedure
• When you consider a source of information about an event,
always apply the props method to determine how
believable the source is.
• 1st ask yourself, is there a source for the information?
– If no, the information is unsupported and weakened.
Choose a more reliable/truthful source.
• If yes, evaluate it: EXPLAIN!!!
– P – primary or secondary?
– R – reason to lie or exaggerate?
– O – other evidence to verify this evidence?
– P – public or private?
P- Primary or secondary
source
• Primary source is evidence given by a
person present at event. It can also be
an object that was part of event.
• Primary sources are more desired.
• You should look to collect as many
primary sources as possible to create
clearer picture of event.
• Collect secondary sources only when
primary sources are unavailable.
R - Reason to lie/distort
• People have reasons to lie
– Make themselves or their group look good
– To help their own interests (i.e. to make money)
• Does the person giving the statement, writing
the document, recording the audio, or
identifying the object benefit from the truth
being distorted, covered up , falsified
sensationalized, or manipulated?
• Witnesses with no reason to do the above are
more desirable.
O- Other evidence
• Is there more information that reports
the same data?
– Witnesses
– Statements
– Recordings
– Evidence
• Having other evidence to verify adds
strength to your argument.
P – Public or private
statement
• Public if…
– …the person knew that others would see,
hear or read what they said.
• Private if…
– …the person stated the information in
confidence or privacy.
• Private is judged more accurate
because it was probably more likely to
reflect the speaker’s true feeling or
observations.
Criteria for Evaluating Evidence
P
Is it a primary (more reliable) or a
secondary (less reliable) source?
R
Does the person giving the evidence have
no reason to lie (more reliable)?
O
Is there other evidence which supports or
verifies what this evidence says (more
reliable) or is this the only evidence
presented on this topic (less reliable)?
P
Is it a public (less reliable) or private
(more reliable) statement? It is public if
the person giving it knew others would
read or see it.