What is an academic argument and how do you make one?
Academic Arguments
Arguments play a key role in academic writing. Academic arguments consist of a claim, also called a thesis statement, followed by logical reasoning and evidence to support the claim. You may be surprised to learn that counterarguments and objections also play a key role in academic writing. They contribute to your argument’s persuasiveness and bolster your credibility as a researcher by showing your awareness of the issues and your ability to address differing viewpoints.
Literature Search
To develop an academic argument, you must conduct a literature search to familiarize yourself with the available evidence and arguments from other researchers in your field. The comprehensive inclusion of counterarguments and objections depends on this critical step. Otherwise, readers may perceive your argument as biased and not credible.
Overview of How to Develop an Academic Argument
- Develop a claim (thesis statement)
- Provide evidence
- Provide examples
- Address counterarguments or objections
The Claim
The claim represents the first component of an academic argument. In an academic paper or dissertation, a claim presents the paper’s main idea or thesis statement. You can make a simple or a complex. A simple claim involves a concise declarative statement, whereas a complex claim also introduces reasoning and evidence. A complex claim is most appropriate for the overarching argument for a thesis or dissertation. Numerous simple claims are often present in an academic paper, thesis, or dissertation. For instance, the introduction chapter in a thesis or dissertation may contain a single complex claim. Whereas each section of the literature review may contain one or more simple claims.
Can you see what distinguishes the following simple claim from the complex claim?
Simple claim: Medications represent a common cause of increased fall risk in older adults.
Complex claim: Medication management represents the most effective intervention for decreasing fall risk in older adults.
The simple claim presents a fact derived from evidence (i.e., data), such as the number of falls attributed to the effects of medication. The complex claim presents a value judgment, arguing one method of decreasing fall risk works better than other methods. This argument will require more involved examples and reasoning to make the case.
Evidence and Examples
To support a simple claim, you must provide the evidence. For example: “This study linked close to 90% of falls in older adults to medications.”
The complex claim requires reasoning and examples in addition to evidence to demonstrate why medication management provides the most effective method for reducing fall risk in older adults. You need to argue your point to support this claim.
When writing an argument to support a complex claim, use real or hypothetical examples that are relevant to the claim. For example, to support the above complex claim, you might say: “For instance, nursing home administrators may find that teaching patients how to manage their medication increases medication compliance, which is more effective at reducing falls than requiring nursing home staff to complete professional development courses on fall risk prevention.”
The evidence used to support the claim should include reputable primary and secondary sources that logically support the claim.
The Counterargument
Counterarguments play a key role in academic arguments by demonstrating your understanding of others’ positions and enhancing your argument’s credibility. Let’s look at a few templates for addressing counterarguments (Graff & Birkenstein, 2009):
- The claim that _________ rests upon the questionable assumption that _________.
- X may have been true in the past, but recent research has shown that ___________.
- By focusing on _____, X has overlooked the more significant problem of _________.
- Though I concede that ___________________, I still insist that ________________.
- While it is true that ___________, it does not necessarily follow that ____________.
Organizing Your Argument
Before you begin developing your argument, consider following a specific organizational structure to ensure the reader can follow your reasoning. Three popular organizational structures exist for developing an academic argument: the Toulmin method, the classical method, and the Rogerian method. You can find detailed descriptions on the Purdue Online Writing Lab website.
Reference
Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2009). They say/I say: The moves that matter in academic writing (2nd ed.). Norton.