Evidence, broadly construed, is anything presented in support of

an assertion.[1] This support may be strong or weak. The

strongest type of evidence is that which provides direct proof of
the truth of an assertion. At the other extreme is evidence that is
merely consistent with an assertion but does not rule out other,
contradictory assertions, as in circumstantial evidence.

In law, rules of evidence govern the types of evidence that

are admissible in a legal proceeding. Types of legal evidence
include testimony,documentary evidence, and physical evidence.
The parts of a legal case which are not in controversy are known,
in general, as the "facts of the case." Beyond any facts that are
undisputed, a judge or jury is usually tasked with being a trier of
fact for the other issues of a case. Evidence and rules are used to
decide questions of fact that are disputed, some of which may be
determined by the legal burden of proof relevant to the case.
Evidence in certain cases (e.g. capital crimes) must be more
compelling than in other situations (e.g. minor civil disputes),
which drastically affects the quality and quantity of evidence
necessary to decide a case.
Scientific evidence consists
of observations and experimental results that serve to support,
refute, or modify a scientific hypothesis or theory, when collected
and interpreted in accordance with the scientific method.

In philosophy, the study of evidence is closely tied

to epistemology, which considers the nature of knowledge and
how it can be acquired.