How to create and present a line of argumentation

Tuesday 2007-03-20 10:00-12:00 Sal B
Material: Craft of Research, (Forskning och Skrivande, Booth, Colomb & Williams)
chapter 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, MP3-file for first hour, MP3-file for second hour (from a previous lecture)

• 7. Making good arguments. Communication theory and meta-communication.
  • Arguments and conversation.
    • What is your goal when you talk?
  • Basic claims on reasons.
    • Reaching an agreement.
  • Basic reasons on evidence.
    • What do you offer. The difference between normal communication and scientific communication.
  • Acknowledging and responding to alternatives.
    • What arguments of questions can arise against the claims.
  • Warranting the relevance of reasons.
    • Can you present a theory that validates how you use your evidence.
  • Building complex arguments out of simple ones.
    • Researcher have many arguments. Triangulation.
  • Arguments and your ethos. Neutrality.
    • To describe all aspects. Also the contradictory ones.
• 8. Claims. Why is this thing interesting for you and for the reader?
  • What kind of claim.
    • Theoretical claim
  • Evaluating you claim.
    • Not to general and not to specific
• 9. Reasons and evidence. What kind of reasons have you chosen. Using an "argumentation-tree" when reasoning
  • Using reasons to plan your argument.
    • Logic is a very useful tool for structuring information.
  • The distinction between reasons and evidence.
    • There can be evidence backing up your reasons.
  • Evidence versus reports of evidence.
    • Is it possible to check the references.
  • Reliable evidence.
    • Test the evidence.
    • Make sure the reader can test it.
• 10. Acknowledgements and responses. Create a discussion that supports the reader in following all aspects of your argumentation.
  • Questioning your argument. "REFUTATIO" and how you can win your opponents on your side.
    • Finding alternatives to your argument. Explore all other possible explanations.
    • Deciding what to acknowledge. Avoid to much argumentation. Gives a hint that you hide something
    • Responses as subordinate arguments. Clarify and explain how there can be exceptions.
• 11. Warrants. General commonsense warrants. Are the principles behind it valid.
  • How warrants work.
    • You make them agree on your explanation of the warrant. The accept it and your use of it.
  • What warrants look like.
    • The theoretical assumptions behind the reasoning.
  • Knowing when to state a warrant.
    • When readers are unfamiliar with your reasoning.
  • Testing your warrants.
    • Find evidence that the warrants hold.
  • Challenging the warrants of others.
    • What kind of evidence are there?

Presenting your findings in front of a live audience

fredag 2007-03-30 11:00-13:00 Sal B F6

• Basic theories about presentation techniques
• The students test the theories while presenting the essence of their presumed scientific contribution