About Evidence
This school-wide conversation on Evidence was held virtually via Zoom on April 9 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
Arts and Science faculty were invited to an inclusive conversation about one of the most timely and challenging topics of our day: evidence.
The nature and importance of evidence have always been signal issues for scholarly disciplines and professional practice. Yet they have been highly contested in the popular arena as well in the US in 2020 as the novel coronavirus, vaccines, the Presidential election, and police brutality have burst into public discourse with great urgency; the very words "evidence-based" have become polemical for some. With all of this as background, we would like to invite any and all interested faculty to contribute to a discussion on "Evidence."
After an introduction and contextual framing of the three questions below, we will launch into curated panels featuring video presentations submitted by individuals or groups of faculty exploring innovative research topics relevant to this conversation. The floor will open for continued conversation and inclusive Q&A sessions following each panel.
To prompt discussion, together with a faculty steering group, we propose the following three questions:
- What are the different forms of evidence (narrative, statistical, theoretical, miracle, lived experience, conspiracy, etc.); when are they convincing, and when are they either complimentary or in conflict with one another?
- How is evidence shaped by the goals of the individuals and institutions that use it?
- How do institutions and accepted mechanisms for obtaining evidence affect its production and its credibility for different audiences?