Research Argument Builder

When to Use

You have a research problem — a question plus the stakes of answering it — and you have done enough research to have a working answer. Now you need to assemble the argument that justifies that answer to skeptical readers.

A research argument is not a heated dispute. It is a cooperative inquiry: you and your readers working together to find the best answer to a question you both think matters. Your job is to anticipate every question a careful reader can ask and answer it before they can object.

Those questions reduce to five:

1. Claim — What do you want me to believe? What is your point?
2. Reasons — Why do you say that? Why should I agree?
3. Evidence — How do you know? Can you back it up?
4. Acknowledgment and Response — But what about...?
5. Warrant — How does that follow? What is your logic?

This skill walks you through all five elements in order, then produces a storyboard you can use as your drafting plan.

Preconditions to verify: