Name three common types of evidence used in analysis.

• A. Opinions, anecdotes, and rumors.
• B. Facts/data, expert testimony, textual evidence
• C. Personal experience, mood, and intuition.
• D. Philosophical arguments, metaphors, and allegories.

Answer: (B)

In analysis, you back up your claims with evidence drawn from credible, verifiable sources. The strongest trio of evidence includes facts or data, expert testimony, and textual evidence. Facts and data ground your argument in objective information—numbers, statistics, or observable details that anyone could verify—so your point isn’t just your personal opinion. Expert testimony adds authority by bringing in the perspective of someone who has specialized knowledge or research in the relevant field, helping to explain complex ideas or interpretations more reliably. Textual evidence provides direct material from the text you’re examining or from relevant sources, showing exactly where your claim comes from and how it connects to the material you’re analyzing.

Other options don’t fit as well because they rely on subjective judgment or less verifiable material: opinions, anecdotes, and rumors reflect personal views or hearsay and aren’t dependable as foundation for a rigorous analysis. Personal experience, mood, and intuition lack verifiability and broad applicability. Philosophical arguments, metaphors, and allegories are valuable as ways to think about meaning or structure, but they aren’t primary forms of evidence you can cite to support a specific analytical claim. Using factual grounding, authoritative input, and direct textual references gives your analysis both credibility and clarity.