What is textual evidence?

Textual evidence is information stated in a given text that is used to support inferences, claims and assertions made by a student or researcher. Typically, it is used in academic writing.

Textual evidence is considered the basis of argument and analysis in the composition of a critical analysis paper. Textual evidence is stated in two forms: explicit and inferred. Explicit textual evidence is information that is directly stated in a text. Inferred textual evidence is information that can be gathered through clues given thought the text. Textual evidence often requires a large amount of critical thinking, especially when dealing with inferred evidence.