III. Argument is: Responding

Joining the Conversation: Writing and Research>Argument is: Responding

Identify the kinds of arguments that are part of this conversation

What kinds of people have joined the conversation about your topic? What kinds of arguments have they made? Are they arguments that depend on gathered data? Are they arguments based on personal experience, either that of the author or someone the author talked to? Are they arguments to persuade? Arguments to convince? Arguments to invite personal reflection or political action?

Embark on a formal synthesis of your materials, which will help you weigh their value in relationship to each other, and to the own position they may help you discover.

What do I do with what I hear?

Decide what kind of argument you want to add to the conversation

Do you want to offer a scholarly “contribution” to the conversation? Or do you want to share your own personal story? You need to consider where your kind of contribution to the conversation will fall, on readers’ ears.

If the topic you’ve chosen is mostly addressed via vigorous research and the collection of hard data, a personal story might not hold as much weight, in the conversation that is being conducted. But you could use a personal story as a way in to an assessment of researched data.

Think about what you are more likely to “listen to,” within a conversation, and use that as a guidepost for your own argument.

Kinds of arguments [working on gathering sources for this; right now they are firewalled so I may have to write my own]

Determine your audience

Who are you writing for? If you know your readership values personal experience, you will probably want to figure out a way to use that as a frame for your research. If you know your readership values data, that will also shape your project.

More importantly, awareness of audience will shape the tone you use and the WAY you share content.

Who is my audience?

Begin a response

Now that you know who you’re talking to, and what the conversation is that you are joining, it’s time to start drafting. Set aside two separate documents (paper, or electronic): one for the actual writing piece you will eventually complete, and another for brainstorming.

In the brainstorming document, write down anything and everything–ideas that come to you, questions you have for yourself, questions you have about the sources you’re reading (make sure you cite them).

In the document that will eventually be your essay, you may want to start with an outline, or you may not. It doesn’t matter, but do set aside space for a thesis, and space for support of the thesis. The first part is the anchor of your introduction, and the rest will shape the body of your essay.

How do I write an argument?

Be ready to change your mind

The most important part of your project to keep in mind throughout the writing process is that you must be willing to change gears: be open to the possibility that the sound research you are doing may lead you to outcomes you hadn’t predicted.

In fact, PLAN for this to happen, in terms of the time you set aside for both research and revision. If you decide you need to change your argument halfway through, it’s not a problem to go back and revise your thesis/argument–IF you’ve left time to do so. If you haven’t, you will produce a piece of writing that is inconsistent with what it claims to do, which will seriously test your credibility with readers.

Make time for revision, and be aware that revision might involve starting over!

See also:

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