Making Claims

Making Claims

• Claims: A claim is the main point or thesis of your argument. It's the central assertion that you want your audience to believe.  

• Types of Claims: There are several types of claims, including claims of fact, definition, cause, value, and policy. The type of claim you make will depend on your research question and the nature of your argument.  

• Specificity: A good claim is specific and focused. It clearly articulates the main point you want to argue and avoids vague or overly broad generalisations.  

• Significance: A significant claim addresses a meaningful gap in knowledge or understanding. It has the potential to challenge existing beliefs or offer new insights.  

• Qualifying Claims: You may need to qualify your claim to acknowledge limitations or alternative perspectives. This enhances your credibility and avoids overstating your argument.  

• Hedging: Use hedging language to indicate the degree of certainty in your claim. This avoids presenting your argument as more definitive than it is.  

Example:

My main claim, as articulated in Chapter 5, is a claim of interpretation and analysis.  It is specific in its focus on Klara's narrative voice and its function in the novel.  It is significant because it addresses a key aspect of Ishiguro's novel and contributes to a deeper understanding of its themes and literary techniques.  To enhance its credibility, I might qualify my claim by acknowledgement that other interpretations of Klara's voice are possible, but I will argue that my interpretation is supported by textual evidence and contributes to a nuanced understanding of the novel's complexities.  I will use hedging language to avoid overstating my argument and acknowledge the potential for multiple interpretations.    

Preparation Activity: Making Claims

Reading: Chapter 6: Making Claims

Instructions:

1. Review and Refine: Based on your research question, problem, and argument structure from previous activities, revisit and refine your main claim. Ensure that your claim directly answers your research question and addresses the core problem you've identified.

2. Assess Specificity: Evaluate your claim for specificity. Is it sufficiently focused and detailed to guide your research and writing? Does it avoid vague or overly broad generalisations? If necessary, revise your claim to make it more specific.

3. Assess Significance: Assess your claim for significance. Does it address a meaningful gap in knowledge or understanding? Does it have the potential to challenge existing beliefs or offer new insights? If needed, revise your claim to enhance its significance.

4. Consider the Type: Determine the type of claim you are making (e.g., claim of fact or existence, claim of definition and classification, claim of cause and consequence, claim of evaluation or appraisal, or claim of action or policy). Explain why this type of claim is appropriate for your research question and problem.

5. Qualify Your Claim: Consider qualifying your claim to enhance its credibility and acknowledge potential limitations or alternative perspectives. Use appropriate hedging language to avoid overstating your argument.

6. Submission: A revised and refined claim statement, along with explanations of its specificity, significance, type, and qualifications.

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Class Outline: Making Claims

Objectives:

• Guide students in crafting clear, specific, and significant claims for their research.

• Familiarise students with different types of claims and their appropriate use in research arguments.

• Foster critical thinking and discussion around evaluating and qualifying claims.

Activities:

1. Recap and Review

   • Briefly review the core components of a research argument from the previous week.

   • Connect argument construction to the process of formulating a strong claim.

2. Types of Claims

   • Introduce the different types of claims: fact, definition, cause, evaluation, and action.

   • Discuss the characteristics and functions of each type of claim.

   • Provide examples of claims from various humanities disciplines.

3. Formulating Research Claims

   • Students work individually or in pairs to refine and revise their claim statements.

   • Professor circulates to provide guidance and feedback.

   • Emphasise the importance of aligning the claim with the research question and problem.

4. Evaluating and Qualifying Claims

   • Students share their revised claims and discuss their specificity, significance, and type.

   • Focus on strategies for qualifying claims to enhance credibility and acknowledge limitations.

   • Encourage students to use appropriate hedging language to avoid overstating their arguments.

5. Wrap-up and Preview

   • Summarise key takeaways from the session, emphasising the importance of a strong and well-supported claim.

   • Preview the topics for the next class: "Assembling Reasons and Evidence."

Reading for Next Week: Chapter 7: Assembling Reasons and Evidence