34 Writing to Make an Argument with Research (Section Overview)

Revisit: What is Embodied Rhetorics? (Insert link to Embodied Rhetorics chapter)

Before we embark on writing an argumentative piece, we need to think about the following in relation to any text that is making an argument.

The Logic of the Argument:

• What is the topic or theme?
• What is the claim being made?
• Are the claims being developed?
• How are they being supported and developed?

The Credibility Question

• Why should one listen to this author?
• Does the text offer counterarguments?

The Significance

• Is the argument presented in a way that evokes a response from the reader? Is the reader made to care?
• Is this coming from the text’s tone? Use of evidence? Structure? Style of writing? Something else?
• Does the text’s genre make a difference to how significant the argument seems?

1. Read the assignment prompt closely and read it several times. Does it specify the kind of argument you should make, or the audience you should address? What does it say about the research process, and the kind and number of sources you need?
2. Begin with an idea you care about. This might seem like a simple and fairly obvious starting place, but it is an important one. If you are not interested in the topic, you are likely to not find compelling research, and your reader is going to sense your disinterest in your writing. Google and Wikipedia are often good places to start.
3. Narrow the topic to something that is manageable. This will depend on the research prompt, but the idea is that you want to argue something that can be explained, developed, supported, and countered within the space of a few pages.
4. Draft and redraft the claim you wish to make. Think about how you might explain the claim to the following audiences
   • Someone in your class who knows the parameters of the assignment but does not know much about your topic
   • Someone knowledgeable about the topic who agrees with your perspective
   • Someone who is knowledgeable about the topic but disagrees with you
5. Once you have your topic and argument, do some initial research using Google and Wikipedia to see what kinds of sources might be available, and if the claim can be further narrowed down.

Types of sources—Depending on what the research assignment asks for, you could consider the following kinds or types of sources:

• Peer-reviewed academic publications: These are typically seen as the most credible of all academic sources. They might be in the form of books, articles, edited or multipart volumes, or online resources.
• Reports, articles, and books from credible non-academic sources: These are often helpful for very recent events which have not yet had time enough to be written about in peer-reviewed formats. They can be newspapers, magazines, blogs, popular books, or policy documents.
• Short pieces from periodicals or credible websites: These are often short reports in publications that present facts rather than long-form analyses. They are still considered credible, and usually have a byline or are attributed to a named individual.
• Agenda-driven or pieces from unknown sources: While these are very helpful in identifying topics or finding positions taken on topics, they are usually not clearly attributed to an author. They might also be too vague or be so partisanal as to be not reliable.

Worth remembering: not all sources are written words. You might be able to find audio or visual sources that are just as credible and compelling.

Once you have the sources, you need to categorize and sort them into an annotated bibliography. This will also help you evaluate the sources and rethink how you might use them in the essay. The process should happen partly before you start drafting the essay, and partly during as you rewrite and revise sections of the essay. And before you do anything else, remind yourself of your argument—what is it that you are claiming in this essay? Write this out on a separate piece of paper, and have that handy as you collate your sources.

• Each source should be first entered in the form of a citation, such as MLA or APA. Follow the citation convention mentioned in the essay prompt.
• The citation should be followed by a couple of brief (100 – 200 words) paragraphs summarizing the main ideas articulated in the source. You do not have to be exhaustive, and in fact your summary should be in line with your own argument.
• The final part of the annotated bibliography should be a few sentences explaining why this source is important for your argument, and you will be using it in the paper (think Background Evidence Argument Method, or BEAM).