Linking evidence to argument
On its own, evidence cannot contribute to academic debate. The interpretation and presentation of that evidence within an argument allows the evidence to make a contribution.
The term ‘argument’ in this context means the carefully constructed rationale for the enquiry, and for the place of its results within the academic arena. It will explain for example:
why the authors considered that what they did was worth doing;
why it was worth doing in that particular way;
why the data collected, or the material selected, were the most appropriate;
how the conclusions drawn link to the wider context of their enquiry.
Even in the most technical and scientific disciplines, the presentation of argument will always involve elements that can be examined and questioned. For example, you could ask:
Why did the writer select that particular topic of enquiry in the first place?
Why did the writer decide to use that particular methodology, choose that specific method, and conduct the work in that way?
Why did the writer select that particular process of analysis?