HOW DO I MAKE A RESEARCH ARGUMENT?

 

Adapted from The Craft of Research

by W. Booth, G. Colomb & J. Williams, University of Chicago Press, (1995)

Making an argument in a research paper should not be too much more difficult than making an argument in a friendly conversation. There's usually a give and take relationship, where the other person is asking you questions (usually on a subject you're familiar with), forcing/encouraging you to think carefully about what you believe and why you believe it. A research report has essentially the same dynamic, except not only do you have to answer the questions, YOU have to ask them.

Examples:

THEIR QUESTIONS, YOUR ANSWERS

What’s your point?

What evidence do you have?

Why do you think your evidence supports your claim?

But how about these reservations?

Are you entirely sure?

How strong is your claim

I claim that…

I offer as evidence…

I offer this general principle…

I can answer them. First…

I must admit that…

I limit my claim to…

Your answers should make up your argument. Some basic to-dos for formulating sound research arguments are:

  1. do make a claim
  2. do provide evidence or grounds to support that claim
  3. do provide a warrant, or a general principle that explains why you think your evidence is relevant to your claim
  4. do provide qualifications that make your claim and evidence precise and meaningful

Claims state what you want your readers to believe. Evidence or grounds are the reasons why they should believe it.

Example:

Claim: You should be checked for diabetes,

Evidence: because your glucometer reading is 200.

For some readers, your evidence may not be enough to keep them from changing their minds, so you need more.

Warrants of an argument are the assumptions or premises that tie claims to the evidence.

"Whenever someone has a reading of more than 120, that's a good sign that she may have diabetes."

Qualifications limit the certainty of your conclusions, detail the conditions under which your claim holds and sometimes addresses your readers' potential objections.

"…that's a good sign that she may have diabetes, unless of course, she just ate something sugary."

Making sound research arguments are important not only because your work is being assessed, but also because the arguments you make contribute to the overall discussion on that topic. Asking you why you make a claim is not to challenge you, but to understand the argument better. Understanding how to construct your own research argument may also help you understand your sources and their arguments - a talent you can utilize for your own benefit.