Great stories and arguments are underpinned by great evidence

Writing an essay? Developing a campaign? Trying to communicate a complex issue? You have an important point to get across. You need to convince someone of its importance and why they should listen or take action on it - but it can sometimes feel like no one is listening or people just don‘t understand your issue. To maximise the impact of what you have to say, you need to build a compelling argument. Being able to pick out the most useful, credible and powerful material will help to get your point across and persuade people of your point of view. But how do you do that? Step-by-step, this course shows you how to find and use the best quality evidence to support your argument.
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What you'll learn

By the end of the course you’ll be able to

  • Understand where to find the best quality evidence

  • Effectively critique evidence to identify its quality and usefulness

  • Organise and structure your evidence efficiently and for maximum impact

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction

    • About You
    • About You: Survey
    • Welcome and Introduction
    • Course Workbook
  • 2

    Locate Your Evidence

    • Locate Your Evidence
    • Types of Evidence
    • Sources of Evidence
    • Where to Look
    • Are You Up To Date? Horizon Scanning
    • Think About...
  • 3

    Examine Your Evidence

    • Examine Your Evidence
    • Examine the Evidence: Questions (1)
    • Examine the Evidence: Questions (2)
  • 4

    Manage Your Evidence

    • Manage Your Evidence
    • Organise Your Evidence
    • Building Your Case
    • Make a Cake
    • Referencing Rules
  • 5

    Course Takeaways

    • Course Takeaways
    • Course Completion
    • Feedback

About the course leader

Alexis Willett, PhD

This course is led by Alexis Willett, PhD. Alexis, owner and director of Punch Consulting, has 20 years’ experience in communications, engagement and health policy, supporting organisations around the world. She’s an award-winning author of a broad range of publications, including popular science books. Her work has featured in major media outlets including The Guardian, BBC Science Focus, The iPaper, The Observer, HuffPost, Psychologies magazine, The Bookseller and The Scotsman. She gained her PhD in biomedical science from the University of Cambridge, also holds MSc and BA (Hons) degrees, and was a lecturer in biomedical science at Anglia Ruskin University. She’s an experienced media spokesperson and has appeared on the BBC, Sky News and CNN International, amongst many other TV and radio channels. Here, she shares her industry-recognised expertise to teach you how to use evidence effectively to deliver a powerful and compelling argument.

Course features

  • Access anywhere, anyhow, anytime

    Our courses are available on PC, Mac, tablet and mobile and can be accessed at any time that suits you

  • Multimedia tools and resources

    Learn through on-demand videos, articles, downloadable resources, quizzes and assignments.

  • Confirmation of completion

    Receive digital confirmation of course completion

Who is this course for?

  • Anyone wanting to use evidence to develop an argument, story or case

  • Anyone interested in understanding what evidence is and how to identify quality evidence

  • Anyone wanting to learn how to appraise an academic paper or scientific research

  • Anyone interested in learning something new

What else do I need to know?

  • What do we mean by ‘evidence’?

    Evidence refers to any information that helps to support the case that you‘re trying to develop. Please note: Although this course is focused on evidence, it is not intended to cover legal definitions of evidence, or the use of evidence in the context of law or legal proceedings.

  • Are there any course requirements?

    Anyone is welcome to participate in this course and no prior knowledge is required.

  • How long will it take to complete the course?

    The course will take approximately 3.5 hours to complete. But you can pause your learning at any time and pick up where you left off later to allow you to work at your own pace.

  • How long will I have access to the course content for?

    Once you purchase the course, you will have 30 days to complete it. In this time, you have full access to the course content and resources. After this time, the course will no longer appear on your dashboard. 

Join today!

Buy the course and let's build a great story together

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