Forming coherent arguments Writing Hacks Dr Tim Worth Southampton University Writing Centre @timworth89

Session structure Critical thinking Research questions and thesis statements Forming information into arguments

Arguments Disagreement – disagreeing on a point of view with no evidence or reason “You shouldn’t eat that sandwich because I don’t like it” Argument – persuading the reader towards a particular point of view by the use of reason “You shouldn’t eat that sandwich because it’s 3 months out of date and is covered in fungi”

Argument or not? The study of history is irrelevant to the modern day The high prevalence of lung cancer amongst smokers shows that cigarettes are dangerous Global warming is a myth only used by scaremongers

What makes a good argument? An identifiable position Consistent persuasion towards that position Evidence to support the position

Refining Reverse Outlining Allows you to ensure that your paragraphs follow a clear structure Read back through your work and summarize each paragraph in one or two words, e.g. Introduction, economic factors, limitations in methodology etc. If you can’t summarize a paragraph in one or two words, it may be that the paragraph is not sufficiently focused

Forming PhD arguments The Thesis Statement Research Questions For the thesis For each chapter Leads to…. The Thesis Statement

From my thesis… Thesis title: Transatlantic Scotophobia: Nation, empire and anti-Scottish sentiment in England and America, 1760-1783 Research Question: What does Scotophobia reveal about national identity in Britain and America during the American Revolution? Thesis statement: Transatlantic Scotophobia allowed Americans and their English supporters to bond through a shared English or Anglo-American identity at the outbreak of war, with the Scots as an enemy and an ‘Other’.

Activity Create a research question and (hypothetical) thesis statement for your PhD

What style of plan works for you?

Activity Sort through the batch of information and put together an argument for your topic. Points to bear in mind: What is your thesis statement? What side of the argument does each piece of evidence support? Can different points be linked together under common themes? What are your most important arguments? What are the counter-arguments to the points made?

Create a plan for your PhD thesis Activity Create a plan for your PhD thesis Create draft research questions and thesis statements for individual topics and chapters Remember: these should all feed back into the main thesis statement

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