We have already discussed some of the difficulties that both Steiger and Woodward encounter in handling the evidence in support of their hypotheses. Before you practice evaluating one of the selections in this book on your own, you should be aware that authors encounter several specific problems when handling evidence that affect the strength of their argument and the final reliability of their work. It is the responsibility of the author, and the reader as well, to be highly aware of these difficulties. Awareness of the particular challenges faced by both the reader and the author allows both individuals a greater chance of arriving at a more certain conclusion to their original question-in our case, whether werewolves exist. We will look briefly at the types of problems involved with handling evidence.

Assumptions. Assumptions are statements accepted as...