Writing Effective Arguments: Tips, Techniques, and Exercises for Improving your Writing Process

1. Class 11 • Visualization of data (cont’d) • Discussion of Tufte paper • Writing arguments discussion • Assignment • WA Ch 4: 9/27 • Assignment 7: Mary Jean Harrold

2. Writing Arguments (Chapter 3) Mary Jean Harrold

3. Introduction to WA Chapter 3 • Now thinking about proposal for term paper, and need to start thinking about how you’ll write your argument • I used to think writing, of any kind except math proofs or thank-you notes, was a gift that I didn’t have and couldn’t learn (my high school teachers didn’t help change my mind on this) • But at one school where I was teaching math, I became friends with an English comp teacher, and she convinced me that writing could be learned---I still didn’t think I’d need it • But when I decided to go to grad school in CS, I needed to learn to write, and found that it was possible, and I now enjoy it. • And most of the writing I do is an argument of some form—a proposal for funding, a proposal for curriculum change, a proposal for space for my research group, a paper reporting my research that needs to convince reviewers that my problem is an important one and that I have a good solution, and so on. Mary Jean Harrold

4. Who Writes Arguments and Why? • How many have written an argument for some issue in the past? • If haven’t written, have you presented an argument? • What are some issues for which you could (if you had time) write or present an argument? What would you want to have changed? Mary Jean Harrold

5. Tips for Improving the Writing Process • Where and how do you start to write an argument? • Who can make change, what are obstacles,…? • Exploratory will help • Discuss with others • How do you explore, research, rehearse? • Audience important • Why will your views be threatening to others, not agree, etc.? • Continue to discuss with others, especially those who don’t agree; use them as sounding board Mary Jean Harrold

6. Tips for Improving the Writing Process (2) • Outline is important • I sometimes start with a bunch of things I want to say somewhere but not sure where • I write them all down and then try to organize them • I then try to think of the flow of the argument or paper by writing a sentence that tells what a paragraph or section will contain • I then try to expand this • I try to talk to a colleague about my argument to see if he/she is convinced • Finally, I write a draft Mary Jean Harrold

7. Tips for Improving the Writing Process (3) • Rough draft (all about the flow of the argument) • Don’t worry about grammar, etc. at first—can polish later • What else? • How should you revise your paper (now think about grammar)? • Read out loud—mistakes show up easier • Spell and grammar • Get someone to proofread (difficult) • Understand that to get a good paper, it takes many iterations to revise, restructure, rewrite Mary Jean Harrold

8. WA: Using Exploratory Writing • Free writing or Blind Writing (what is this) • Idea Mapping (what is this) • Playing the Believing/Doubting Game • Believer: wholly sympathetic to the idea, listen carefully, identify all ways that idea might appeal to different audiences, and all reasons for believing the idea • Doubter: be judgmental and critical, find faults, find counterexamples and inconsistencies that undermine the idea Mary Jean Harrold

9. Class Exercise Name Claim: Violence on the Web and in computer games is responsible for shootings in schools? • Play the believing and doubting game with the above claim by free writing for five minutes trying to believe the claim and then for five minutes to doubt the claim OR • Make an idea map by creating a believing spoke and a doubting spoke off the main hub. Instead of free writing, enter ideas onto your idea map, moving back and forth between believing and doubting. Mary Jean Harrold

10. WA: Using Exploratory Writing • Brainstrorming for Pro/Con Because Clauses • State reasons for and against claim • Brainstrorming a Network of Related Issues • Identify related issues (sub issues, side issues, larger issues) Mary Jean Harrold

11. Group/Class Exercise Name Claim: ISP providers should be required by law to keep records on the real identify of all users. • Working with 2-3 others, generate pro and con because clauses supporting and attaching the claim. • Discuss because clauses with rest of class. • Now brainstorm about related issues (sub, side, larger) Mary Jean Harrold

12. Classical Argument Exordium (get audience attention) Narratio (provides needed background) Propositio (introduce speakers thesis) Partitio (forecasts the main parts of the speech) Homelier Terms Dramatic story or startling statistic Focus on issue—state as question, summarize opposing views Contextualize by providing background, explaining context, etc. Present thesis forecasts argument’s structure Shaping Your Argument: Introduction Mary Jean Harrold

13. Classical Argument Confirmatio (presents writer’s position) Confutatio (refutes opposing views Peroratio (sums up argument, calls for actions, leaves strong lasting impression) Homelier Terms Main body of essay, present reasons and evidence supporting claims, tie reasons to audience’s values, beliefs, and assumptions; usually a paragraph for each Also refutes others claims, shows weakness in them, be fair and complete May put refute first, depending on audience Close, sum up, strong lasting impression, call for action Shaping Your Argument: Body, Conclusion Mary Jean Harrold

14. Discovering Ideas and Deepening Thinking Exploration and Rehearsal • What issue to you plan to address in this argument? • One sentence question • Reword in several ways • Select best one • Now write out your tentative answer to the question. • This is tentative answer • Write more than one; these will be alternative claims that others might consider • Why is this issue controversial? • Is there sufficient evidence to resolve the issue Mary Jean Harrold

15. Assignment 9 • Discuss and let start on it Mary Jean Harrold