Day X: Making Claims with Data

SDS 189: Data and Social Justice

Lindsay Poirier
Statistical & Data Sciences, Smith College

Fall 2023

What is a claim?

• An assertion that something is the case
• Made in the context of potential contradiction or counter-claims
• Often supported by evidence

What makes a good claim?

• Debatable
  • Be sure that you can imagine an counter-argument.
• Provable
  • Be sure that you can imagine evidence to support the claim.
• Not overly general or vague
  • Be sure that you don’t need an overwhelming amount of evidence to support the claim.
• Engaging or something that people care about
  • Be sure your claim can answer the question “so what?”

Claims that could use some work

• As of 2021, the global population was 7.888 billion.
• Eating too much junk food is bad for your health.
• I believe that dogs are the best creatures on the planet.
• Sarah Willie-LeBreton is the 12th president of Smith College.
• Money makes the world go around.
• College students face many challenges today.
• In 200 years, the human race will go extinct due to a catastrophic disaster.
• There are differences in how data science is taught in colleges across the U.S.

Types of Claims

• Claims of fact
• Claims of definition
• Claims of value
• Claims of cause
• Claims of comparison
• Claims of policy

See here.

Evidence

• Facts or data to support your claim
• Quotes or statements from credible authorities/experts
• Personal anecdotes

Warrant

• Reasoning that explains how or why the evidence that supports the claim
• Outlines what needs to be true in order for the evidence to support the claim
• Follows logical reasoning and avoids fallacies
• Is specific to the evidence provided