Academic Notes: Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER)
C 1. Claim
The argument or central position
A claim is a clear, defensible statement that answers a question or establishes a position. It communicates
what the writer believes to be true based on analysis, research, or observation.
Characteristics of a strong claim:
Specific: identifies exactly what the writer is arguing.
Debatable: allows room for reasonable disagreement.
Defensible: can be supported with credible evidence.
Relevant: directly addresses the prompt or research question.
Analytical: explains significance rather than merely stating an obvious fact.
E 2. Evidence
The factual support for the argument
Evidence consists of relevant information used to substantiate a claim. It may include statistics,
quotations, experimental observations, historical records, research findings, or specific examples from a
text.
Characteristics of strong evidence:
Credible: comes from a trustworthy source.
Relevant: directly supports the claim.
Accurate: represents the original information correctly.
Sufficient: provides enough support to make the argument convincing.
Contextualized: includes the background needed to understand its significance.
R 3. Reasoning
The explanation connecting evidence to the claim
Reasoning explains why the evidence supports the claim. It makes the writer's logic explicit by
interpreting facts, identifying patterns, applying relevant concepts, and explaining cause-and-effect
relationships where appropriate.
Characteristics of strong reasoning:
, Logical: avoids contradictions and unsupported leaps.
Explanatory: clarifies how the evidence supports the argument.
Analytical: explores implications and significance.
Conceptually grounded: uses relevant principles, theories, or literary techniques.
Complete: addresses the connection between the evidence and the claim rather than expecting the reader
to infer it.
4. How the Three Components Work Together
CER is an argument structure, not simply three separate sentences. Each component fulfills a distinct
intellectual purpose.
The underlying relationship is:
A claim without evidence is an assertion. Evidence without reasoning is an accumulation of facts.
Reasoning without reliable evidence risks becoming speculation.
The objective is not merely to present information, but to demonstrate why that information justifies a
particular conclusion.
5. Example: English Literature
Question: How does a writer use setting to develop a character's emotional state?
The author uses the isolated setting to emphasize the protagonist's growing sense of loneliness and
alienation.
Throughout the passage, the protagonist remains physically separated from other characters, while the
descriptions of the empty surroundings reinforce the absence of human connection.
The physical separation mirrors the protagonist's emotional distance from the surrounding community. By
associating the character with an empty environment, the author transforms the setting into a reflection of
the protagonist's internal conflict. This technique allows the reader to understand the character's isolation
through both the external environment and its symbolic implications.
Why this analysis works
Claim: Establishes a specific interpretation of the author's technique.
Evidence: Identifies textual details that can substantiate that interpretation.
Reasoning:
C 1. Claim
The argument or central position
A claim is a clear, defensible statement that answers a question or establishes a position. It communicates
what the writer believes to be true based on analysis, research, or observation.
Characteristics of a strong claim:
Specific: identifies exactly what the writer is arguing.
Debatable: allows room for reasonable disagreement.
Defensible: can be supported with credible evidence.
Relevant: directly addresses the prompt or research question.
Analytical: explains significance rather than merely stating an obvious fact.
E 2. Evidence
The factual support for the argument
Evidence consists of relevant information used to substantiate a claim. It may include statistics,
quotations, experimental observations, historical records, research findings, or specific examples from a
text.
Characteristics of strong evidence:
Credible: comes from a trustworthy source.
Relevant: directly supports the claim.
Accurate: represents the original information correctly.
Sufficient: provides enough support to make the argument convincing.
Contextualized: includes the background needed to understand its significance.
R 3. Reasoning
The explanation connecting evidence to the claim
Reasoning explains why the evidence supports the claim. It makes the writer's logic explicit by
interpreting facts, identifying patterns, applying relevant concepts, and explaining cause-and-effect
relationships where appropriate.
Characteristics of strong reasoning:
, Logical: avoids contradictions and unsupported leaps.
Explanatory: clarifies how the evidence supports the argument.
Analytical: explores implications and significance.
Conceptually grounded: uses relevant principles, theories, or literary techniques.
Complete: addresses the connection between the evidence and the claim rather than expecting the reader
to infer it.
4. How the Three Components Work Together
CER is an argument structure, not simply three separate sentences. Each component fulfills a distinct
intellectual purpose.
The underlying relationship is:
A claim without evidence is an assertion. Evidence without reasoning is an accumulation of facts.
Reasoning without reliable evidence risks becoming speculation.
The objective is not merely to present information, but to demonstrate why that information justifies a
particular conclusion.
5. Example: English Literature
Question: How does a writer use setting to develop a character's emotional state?
The author uses the isolated setting to emphasize the protagonist's growing sense of loneliness and
alienation.
Throughout the passage, the protagonist remains physically separated from other characters, while the
descriptions of the empty surroundings reinforce the absence of human connection.
The physical separation mirrors the protagonist's emotional distance from the surrounding community. By
associating the character with an empty environment, the author transforms the setting into a reflection of
the protagonist's internal conflict. This technique allows the reader to understand the character's isolation
through both the external environment and its symbolic implications.
Why this analysis works
Claim: Establishes a specific interpretation of the author's technique.
Evidence: Identifies textual details that can substantiate that interpretation.
Reasoning:
