Making Good Arguments

Making Good Arguments

Argument as Conversation: A research argument is like a conversation with your audience, where you present your claims and support them with reasons and evidence. It's important to anticipate questions and objections your audience might have and address them in your argument.  


Core Components: The core components of a research argument are:

Warrants: Warrants are general principles that connect your reasons to your claim. They explain the underlying logic of your argument. You may need to state your warrants explicitly if your audience is unfamiliar with them or might challenge your reasoning.  


Acknowledgments and Responses: Acknowledge and respond to potential questions, objections, and alternative perspectives that your audience might have. This strengthens your argument and shows that you have considered different viewpoints.  


Planning Your Argument: Plan your argument by outlining its structure and organising your claims, reasons, and evidence. Consider using visual aids like storyboards to help you visualise the connections between different parts of your argument.  


Ethos: Ethos refers to the credibility or character you project as a researcher. It's built by presenting a well-supported argument, acknowledging different perspectives, and communicating your ideas clearly and respectfully.


Example:


To do my research, I will construct a research argument that outlines my main claim and supporting reasons.  My primary claim might be that Klara's unique narrative voice, shaped by her artificiality and evolving understanding of the world, allows Ishiguro to explore the complexities of human emotions and relationships from an outsider's perspective.  I will support this claim with reasons such as: Klara's limited understanding of human behaviour leads to unique observations and interpretations; her outsider status allows her to question societal norms and expectations; and her unwavering empathy and compassion challenge readers to reconsider their own emotional responses.  I will anticipate potential objections, such as the argument that Klara's artificiality prevents her from truly understanding human emotions, and address them by examining the nuances of Ishiguro's character development and narrative techniques.  


Preparation Activity: Assembling a Research Argument

Reading: Chapter 5: Making Good Arguments

Instructions:

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Class Outline: Making Good Arguments

Objectives:

Activities:

Recap and Review

Elements of a Research Argument 

Argument Construction 

Visualising Argument Structure

Wrap-up and Preview 


Reading for Next Week: Chapter 6: Making Claims