ACARA v9 CONTENT DESCRIPTION “construct evidence-based arguments to support conclusions or evaluate claims and consider any ethical issues and cultural protocols associated with using or citing secondary data or information”
Builds on selecting evidence to support a conclusion. This year you construct arguments that lean on secondary data, information published by other people and agencies, and you learn to weigh the conclusion against the evidence cited and to handle that evidence ethically and respectfully.
A conclusion is only as strong as the cited evidence
Much of the evidence scientists rely on was gathered by someone else: long temperature records, earthquake catalogues, sea-level series, museum and agency datasets. This is secondary data. Used well, it lets a single student build an argument that spans decades or a whole continent. Used badly, it can mislead. An evidence-based argument names a conclusion, points to the specific cited data that supports it, and explains the reasoning that connects them. The reader can then trace and check every step.
Build the case from cited data, drop the weak parts
A student argues that one stretch of coastline faces a rising flood risk, drawing on a published sea-level dataset from a national geoscience agency. Decide which statements are sound, cited evidence and belong in the argument.
Claim: This stretch of coastline faces a growing flood risk.
The agency tide-gauge record, cited by station and year, shows the local sea level rose about 9 cm over the past 30 years.
The same dataset shows the number of days the sea overtopped the lowest road has more than doubled since the 1990s.
A peer-reviewed coastal study, named in the report, links that rise to more frequent flooding of low-lying land.
An old photo makes the beach look smaller now, so the sea must be higher.
Figures were copied from an unnamed website and the numbers were nudged upward to make the trend look clearer.
Decide whether each statement is evidence for the claim, or not.
Citing secondary data carries responsibilities
Borrowing data is not the same as owning it. You must name the source so a reader can find the original, represent the figures honestly without trimming or inflating them, and check whether the source allows reuse. Some records carry stronger duties still. Where the evidence includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, that knowledge can have cultural protocols governing how it may be shared, used and cited. Treat it as belonging to its community: seek permission, attribute it correctly, and follow those protocols rather than assuming it is free to take.
How should you use the Traditional Owner records?
The most valuable long-term observations of the coastline are Aboriginal seasonal knowledge held by a local Traditional Owner group. Choose how to use them in your argument and weigh what each choice gains and gives up.
Secondary data is not only numbers on a page; it can be knowledge that belongs to people and carries cultural meaning. How you obtain, credit and represent it is an ethical decision as much as a scientific one.
Choose a response to see what is gained and what is given up.
New cited evidence can change the conclusion
An evidence-based argument is not fixed for ever. As more secondary data is published, a conclusion may be reinforced, refined or overturned. The honest response is to follow the cited evidence, even when it revises an earlier claim. Step through how a regional risk assessment shifts as each new dataset is added and properly credited.
Watch the conclusion follow the evidence
Each step adds a new piece of properly cited secondary data about the coastline. See how the working conclusion is updated as the evidence grows.
New evidence (1 of 3)
One harbour tide-gauge record is cited, showing a clear local rise in sea level.
Accepted model: This harbour appears to face a rising flood risk.
Add the next piece of evidence and watch whether the accepted model holds or has to change.
Why this matters
Whether you are advising a council on flood defences or writing up a school report, your case rests on the evidence you cite and the honesty with which you use it. Knowing how to build an argument from secondary data, credit every source, and respect the cultural protocols attached to some knowledge is a skill that reaches well beyond science class.
Quick self-check
1. You did not record the rainfall yourself; you took it from a national weather agency dataset. What is this called?
2. Which sentence states a conclusion and the evidence-based reasoning behind it?
3. You quote figures from a published geoscience report to support your claim. To use that secondary data honestly you should...
4. Some of the long-term observations you want to cite are Aboriginal seasonal knowledge held by a Traditional Owner group. The appropriate step is to...
5. A report concludes a whole region is sinking, but cites tide records from only one harbour. The strongest way to repair the argument is to...