+ Introduction to Argument From The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing and Norton Field Guide to Writing

+ What Is Argument? Taking a position main claim The position is the writer’s main claim Supporting that position with reasons Additional claims may be included as support Providing evidence to support the reasons counterarguments Identifying and responding to alternative positions: counterarguments

+ Stating the Position A thesis statement is a sentence (or two) that encapsulates your paper’s argument Parts of a thesis statement: Claim+ Reasons + Evidence Qualifying a claim makes refuting it more difficult After-school jobs are bad for teenagers After-school jobs are often bad for teenagers

+ Types of Evidence Summaries of research studies Statistics Expert testimony Observation Used in ethnographic studies Used in fields such as education and marketing Interviews Surveys

+ Evaluating Evidence Field specificity Is this type of evidence commonly used and respected in the field? Recency Is this evidence current? Relevance Does this evidence apply to the topic being examined? Impartiality What are the biases of this evidence? Sufficiency Are there enough examples to justify the point?

+ Counterarguments Two ways to respond to anticipated objections to your position Rebutting Explaining why this objection is not valid Conceding Admitting that this objection is valid

+ Types of Appeals Logos Ethos Pathos

+ Logos Appeals to reason and logic Just the cold, hard facts, ma’am “Any reasonable person would see…”

+ Ethos Appeals based on credibility Establishing one’s experience, knowledge, and ability Taking a reasonable tone for one’s audience “I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV.” 

+ Pathos Appeals to emotions and shared values “Do it for the kids… [or the community, the environment, your country, and so forth]” The heart-string tug