V. How to Shape a Response: Best Practices for Sound Argument

Joining the Conversation: Writing and Research>How to Respond: Best Practices for Sound Response

What do I do with what I hear?

Once you have learned more about the conversation from your
research, you need to decide what your part in that conversation is.
Before you can, you need to somehow sort what you’ve found. A formal
process of synthesis can help you know what to do.
Once you’ve done enough research, you will start to recognize
patterns of response to your chosen topic or issue.

Your next step is to sort those responses, via a formal and systematic synthesis.
What kinds of writers endorse arguments in favor of your chosen
issue? What kinds of writers endorse arguments that appear to oppose
some aspect of your chosen issue? What do those writers have in
common? A synthesis can help you understand more about the stakes of
an issue, for certain parties, and give you a better sense of what
the stakes are for you.

Generating synthesis:

 How do I write an argument?

Once you’ve synthesized your sources, you will have a better sense of where you come down, in terms of your place in the conversation.

Write it out in as many ways as possible. Try writing it as a direct
response to someone else’s claims–in agreement, and then again in
disagreement.

Write out what you need to do to support your position. It doesn’t
need to be written well–just have a sense of what you KNOW supports
your position.

Writing argument:

How do I present support and evidence?

Once you have a position, and have sketched a plan (it can be very
sketchy) go back to the synthesis and find the sources that you can
use to support your position. Remember that you also need to do
something with the sources that DON’T support it: write out why you
can’t agree with those responses. Do they have credibility problems?
Are they right in some ways, but not others? Write it out. You can
use this to organize a well-supported set of claims.
Once you’ve written out your claims and responses, think about how
they flow logically. Organize them logically. Write out the
transitions that connect them, one sentence each. This is your
outline for argument.

Support and evidence:

How do I know when I’m done?

You have finished your argument when you feel that you’ve accounted
for all sides of the argument, assessed all issues of credibility,
and demonstrated as clearly as possible that your position is the
better one (remember: not the only one, just the better one). You
don’t have to keep proving things, if you’ve demonstrated that you
have considered the key stakes and the major positions fairly and
carefully.

What’s next?

See also:

Back to Table of Contents