Anecdotal evidence, which is more of a logical term regarding argumentation, and hearsay evidence, which is a legal term, means somewhat similar things as terms. In general, anecdotal evidence or hearsay evidence can refer to evidence which is obtained through secondhand means, and is thus not directly attributed to the individual providing such anecdotal evidence, and is, in turn, doubtful in its veracity.
Hearsay evidence is not always considered to be anecdotal evidence, as there are situations in which evidence heard secondhand by a witness might be admissible in court, but if the evidence in question is doubtful in terms of its truthfulness and f actuality, then it might be considered anecdotal evidence. Anecdotal evidence is not, thus, based on clear, definitive fact, and as such, it is not generally considered useful or admissible in court.
Anecdotal evidence in a more logical sense is related to this notion of hearsay evidence, as anecdotal evidence can refer to evidence from an anecdote or personal story being used to imply a conclusion for which it actually provides no evidence. For example, anecdotal evidence might cover a situation in which an individual explains that his sister went skiing and wasn’t hurt at all, thus meaning that skiing is not that difficult or dangerous.
This example of anecdotal evidence would obviously not bear out fully, however. Understanding anecdotal evidence in this way points out some of the flaws of hearsay evidence, as well, in that it can be used to infer a conclusion without actually providing enough evidence.
