Questions to Ask

• How do you decide when to include personal experience?
• When you include personal experience as evidence, how can you make sure it is doing the work you need it do to?
• When is your personal experience an experience that others might relate to or identify with, and when is it so specific that it is really only meaningful to you?
• How do you balance the use of personal experience as evidence?

Strategies to Use

Personal experience is usually most effective when…

• It is balanced with research and cited, credible sources.
• It closely matches the claim or argument you are making. Use personal experience as evidence only when your individual experience or expertise is relevant.
• Your listening, playing, or conducting experience can help readers appreciate your perspective, provide context for your arguments, and give readers a reason to be interested in your ideas.

Resources to Consult

• Writing Center, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. “Should I Use ‘I’”? The Writing Center: UNC Chapel Hill, 2020.
• Writing Center, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. “Evidence.” The Writing Center: UNC Chapel Hill, 2020.