Toulmin analysis of arguments over censorship in science

1. Toulmin analysis of arguments over censorship in science

2. Components of Argument: Claim What’s your point? Grounds What do you have to go on? Qualifier How sure are you? Warrant How did you get from grounds to claim? Backing What supports your warrant? Rebuttal Are there any exceptions to your claim?

3. Beverly Dale is entitled to vote at town meetings. Claim

4. Beverly Dale is entitled to vote at town meetings. Beverly Dale is a local taxpayer. Grounds Claim

5. Beverly Dale is entitled to vote at town meetings. Beverly Dale is a local taxpayer. So, presumably Qualifier Grounds Claim

6. All local taxpayers are normally entitled to vote at town meetings. Warrant Beverly Dale is entitled to vote at town meetings. Beverly Dale is a local taxpayer. So, presumably Qualifier Grounds Claim

7. Relevant legal and constitutional statues provide for suffrage. Backing All local taxpayers are normally entitled to vote at town meetings. Warrant Beverly Dale is entitled to vote at town meetings. Beverly Dale is a local taxpayer. So, presumably Qualifier Grounds Claim

8. Relevant legal and constitutional statues provide for suffrage. Backing All local taxpayers are normally entitled to vote at town meetings. Warrant Beverly Dale is entitled to vote at town meetings. Beverly Dale is a local taxpayer. So, presumably Qualifier Grounds Claim Unless she is a noncitizen, a minor, a lunatic, or other disqualified person. Rebuttal

9. Backing Warrant Grounds Qualifier Claim Rebuttal

11. Read, Timothy D. , et al., 2003. “The genome sequence of Bacillus anthracis Ames and comparison to closely related bacteria,” Nature 423, 81-86 (1 May 2003).

12. “The life science community should take the lead in partnering with national security professionals to draft guidelines for identifying research of concern and weighing the benefits to national security against the cost to open communication of future life science discovery.”J. B. Petro, Joint Military Intelligence College, Bolling AFB, Washington, DC.

13. “Placing major new barriers in the path of the free flow of scientific information will ultimately undermine our best defenses against bioterrorism and, ironically compromise the public health that we are trying to protect.”Abigail Salyers, president of the American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC.

14. Censorship of scientific communication would yield a false sense of security from bioterrorism. Claim

15. Effective public response to inhalation anthrax was delayed because of lack of knowledge about anti-clumping agents. Censorship of scientific communication would yield a false sense of security from bioterrorism. So, it is reasonable to conclude that Qualifier Grounds Claim

16. The public depends on science for life-saving and life-improving therapeutics. Warrant Effective public response to inhalation anthrax was delayed because of lack of knowledge about anti-clumping agents. Censorship of scientific communication would yield a false sense of security from bioterrorism. So, it is reasonable to conclude that Qualifier Grounds Claim

17. Since its inceptions science has served the public. Backing The public depends on science for life-saving and life-improving therapeutics. Warrant Effective public response to inhalation anthrax was delayed because of lack of knowledge about anti-clumping agents. Censorship of scientific communication would yield a false sense of security from bioterrorism. So, it is reasonable to conclude that Qualifier Grounds Claim Salyers, A., 2002. Science, Censorship, and Public Health, Science, 296, 26 April 2002, p. 617.

18. Scientists should weigh the benefits to national security against the cost to open communication. Claim

19. Documents recovered from an al Qaida training camp in Afghanistan in 2001 included research articles on the production of Bacillus anthracis. Scientists should weigh the benefits to national security against the cost to open communication. So, it is reasonable to conclude that Qualifier Claim Grounds

20. National security community regards possession of research publications on biological toxins as a sign of terrorist intent. Warrant Documents recovered from an al Qaida training camp in Afghanistan in 2001 included research articles on the production of Bacillus anthracis. Scientists should weigh the benefits to national security against the cost to open communication. So, it is reasonable to conclude that Qualifier Claim Grounds

21. National security community has a need to restrict access to science for the public safety. Backing National security community regards possession of research publications on biological toxins as a sign of terrorist intent. Warrant Documents recovered from an al Qaida training camp in Afghanistan in 2001 included research articles on the production of Bacillus anthracis. Scientists should weigh the benefits to national security against the cost to open communication. So, it is reasonable to conclude that Qualifier Claim Grounds Petro, James B., and David A. Relman, 2003. Understanding Threats to Scientific Openness, Science, 302, 12 December 2003, p. 1898.