Elaborating the Concept of Evidence in Safety Cases

Unlike argumentation in safety cases, evidence (also an important component), has received less attention in the literature. In this presentation, the speaker compares the concept of evidence in different disciplines and analyses the characteristics of evidence in the safety domain. A model of evidence is proposed for a better understanding of evidence and its evaluation. Evidence assertions (the minimal assertions that are drawn out of the source data of evidence) are explained with the model. The model provides clarity to the interface between evidence and argument, which is useful for establishing confidence in safety cases.