The word argument has a negative connotation tied to
it. You picture red-faced, rage-filled individuals
blindly yelling at each other. This is
not the case with arguing in academic writing.
First and foremost, a good argument is a conversation (which
I described in an earlier blog post).
The claim of the argument (thesis) should be something debatable (it may
be beneficial to start with a question and form an argument from there); the
whole idea of the argument is to inform and persuade your audience. If you’re swimming in information, your topic
is too broad; if you’re struggling to find enough evidence your topic could be
too narrow. Next, you need to have logical
reasons for your claim and support those reasons with relevant evidence
(warrant). Keep in mind the questions
readers might have regarding what you’re saying; anticipation is key to a good
argument. The next stage in the writing process
deals with addressing the counterarguments and responding to them. You have to give readers both sides in order
for your argument to seem clear, fair, and credible. To end the paper/argument, sum up what you’re
trying to say, and, hopefully you’ve given your audience enough information and
proved/solved your claim.
As we learn more about academic writing, I see that we are
trying to move away from the “standard”, the five-paragraph, the “no
personality” paper. Some approaches have
more or less stayed the same, for example, the idea of appeals to logos, ethos,
and pathos to strengthen arguments.
Although its defiantly been enhanced, the fundamental ideas of these
appeals and their importance in your argument has aligned with what I learned
in high school.
Although I’ve heard this word before, the word “claim” has
come to take a new meaning in regards to academic writing. Usually, we say that other people “claim”
ideas, it provides a sense of doubt, like although the say this, it can be
disputed. Now, I am the one with the
claim and I have to prove it. The one
word that confuses me a bit is warrant. It’s
a new one, but I think I’m getting the hang of it. From what I understand, warrant is the relevancy
of your reasons and evidence.
Until next time…its Rachel signing off.
