Analyzing Arguments PDF

Analyzing Arguments What is an argument? An argument is a formal way to make a point either in spoken or written text. It is a line of reasoning meant to demonstrate the truth or falsehood of something. It also means a claim or a set claim with reasons and evidence offe...

Analyzing Arguments What is an argument? An argument is a formal way to make a point either in spoken or written text. It is a line of reasoning meant to demonstrate the truth or falsehood of something. It also means a claim or a set claim with reasons and evidence offered as support. An argument consists of parts: a claim that summarizes the main idea reasons why that claim is true and/or pieces of evidence that support the claim *Claim – idea that the author wants you to believe or is trying to prove How to identify arguments As you read, you should identify arguments to fully understand the main points. In paragraphs, a topic sentence often identifies the main claim or idea of the paragraph. This is usually the first sentence, but not always. To find it, follow the following steps: 1. Read the paragraph. 2. Ask: "What is this paragraph about?" 3. Summarize the content in your own words. 4. Find the sentence within that paragraph that best matches that summary- this is likely the stated claim of the paragraph. How to analyze arguments “To analyze” means to break down into parts. Therefore, to analyze an argument, you have to break down its parts and examine their relationship to the other parts of the argument. Furthermore, when you "analyze an argument", you evaluate someone else's work. This means you need to be a critical reader. The following are questions that you need to bear in mind while analyzing arguments: What is the issue of the text? What is the argumentative thesis of the text? What are the claims given in the text? What are the reasons provided to support the claims? What pieces of evidence are given to support the claim? Are the given pieces of evidence valid? Why or why not? You will likely find two authors who make different claims on the same topic. How do they each support their claims with reasons and evidence? Six Steps to Analyze an Argument by Terry Heick (2018) 1. Clarify- Making sense, in full, of what the author is “trying to say” (thesis/theme) 2. Analyze- Seeing all of the “parts” of the argument, and where each is strongest/weakest 3. Evidence-Noticing which parts of the argument are supported and to what effect a. What is the source of the evidence? b. Is the evidence true? c. Does the evidence provided strengthen or weaken the claim? 4. Nuance-Seeing what’s said both explicitly and implicitly 5. Style-Understanding how the writing style affects the argument 6. Judgment- Judging whether the argument is valid Defending a Stand on an Issue When you choose between the two sides of an issue, you are making a stand. A stand is a choice that you make and an opinion that you express. Is it important to make a stand? Of course! Everyone is entitled for his/ her own opinion. It is a manifestation of our freedom of expression. Your voice matters. When you express your thoughts on an important issue, you may able to influence the people around you. It can be your seatmate, your friend or a relative; and if that person shares your opinion, more people might also be influenced. Is it not amazing? This is also one of the reasons why there is a proliferation of vloggers and social media influencers. With just a click of the upload button, thousands and even millions of people may be reached by your message. This may be advantageous, but it also poses dangers. Since, you have the right to express your ideas, others too can share their views which may support or debunk yours. So, the question is, how can you defend your stand on an issue? You can do it by providing reasonable arguments supported by factual evidence. Let us talk about creating arguments. It is a must that your argument should have four important parts. The Four Pillars of Arguments I. Thesis Statement A. Must be one to two sentences B. Must take a firm stand C. Must be debatable II. Evidence A. Expect skeptical audience B. Be equipped with established support to your argument  C. An evidence may be in the form of: 1. facts and statistics; and 2. experts’ opinions (*Citing evidence will be further discussed in the next lesson) III. Refutation A. Anticipate objections B. Counter opposing arguments C. Shows that you are a credible academic researcher D. Shows that you are a credible academic writer E. Shows that you are unbiased and fair-minded IV. Concluding Statement A. Reiterate your thesis statement B. Bring the argument back to your main point C. Suggest a plan of action (if possible) Basics Steps in creating your arguments 1. Research on the issue. 2. Weigh both pros and cons. 3. Make a stand. 4. Think of strong arguments 5. Provide evidence as support. 6. Organize your content and make it logical. Supporting Evidence Evidence comes in different sorts, and it tends to vary from one academic field or subject of argument to another. Evidence answers challenges to the reasons given thus strengthens your claims. However, you should also consider if the type of evidence is considered credible or valid in your academic field. Types of Evidence Based on Discipline List of Possible Sources of Evidence Evaluating Evidence In creating your argument, you must determine if the evidence you will provide as support is credible, accurate, and reliable. If the evidence does not meet these criteria, then your argument is (more) likely to fail. credible - is an adjective that comes from the Latin credibilis, meaning “worthy to be believed.” reliable – an adjective that comes from Scottish raliabill which means worthy of being depended on accurate - an adjective from Latin accuratus "prepared with care, exact and elaborate 1. Who/what is the source of the evidence? 2. Is the evidence found in a primary or secondary source? a. primary source is an original source, such as a literary work, historical document, photo, etc. b. secondary source provides content that has already been interpreted such as literature reviews and review articles (e.g., movie reviews, book reviews); works of criticism and interpretation etc. 3. How does the evidence from one source compare with the evidence from another source? 4. How current is the evidence? 5. Is the evidence specific to the reasons for which it is being provided, and does it ultimately support the claim? 6. Why is the evidence important to the argument? 7. What does the evidence perhaps suggest, but not explicitly show? 8. What is interesting about the evidence that will make it catch the attention of the reader and be memorable? Incorporating Evidence There are numerous approaches to introduce your proof. Frequently, your proof will be incorporated as content in the body of your paper, a quotation, paraphrase, or summary. In some cases, you may incorporate Sometimes you might include graphs, charts, or tables; excerpts from an interview; or photographs or illustrations with accompanying captions. Quotations At the point when you quote, you are imitating another author’s words precisely as they show up on the page. Here are a few hints to enable you to choose when to utilize quotations: 1. Quote if you can’t say it any better and the author’s words are particularly brilliant, witty, edgy, distinctive, a good illustration of a point you’re making, or otherwise interesting. 2. Quote if you are using a particularly authoritative source and you need the author’s expertise to back up your point. 3. Quote if you are analyzing diction, tone, or a writer’s use of a specific word or phrase. 4. Quote if you are taking a position that relies on the reader’s understanding exactly what another writer says about the topic. Paraphrasing When you paraphrase, you take a particular segment of a text and put it into your own words. Placing it into your own words doesn't mean simply changing or reworking a couple of the writer's words: to paraphrase well and avoid plagiarism, restate the sentence as if you are saying it to someone else without looking at the original. Paraphrasing is different from summarizing because it aims to maintain the length of the original text and it only focuses on specific segments of the text. When might you want to paraphrase? 1. Paraphrase when you want to introduce a writer’s position, but his or her original words aren’t special enough to quote. 2. Paraphrase when you are supporting a particular point and need to draw on a certain place in a text that supports your point—for example, when one paragraph in a source is especially relevant. 3. Paraphrase when you want to present a writer’s view on a topic that differs from your position or that of another writer; you can then refute writer’s specific points in your own words after you paraphrase. 4. Paraphrase when you want to comment on a particular example that another writer uses. 5. Paraphrase when you need to present information that’s unlikely to be questioned. Summary When you summarize, you are offering an overview of an entire text, or at least a lengthy section of a text. Summary is useful when you are providing background information, grounding your own argument, or mentioning a source as a counterargument. It is useful when you have a lot of sources to incorporate in limited space. When you are summarizing make it clear to the reader and cite your source appropriately.