A claim states a clear and specific argument
- Slides: 5
• A claim states a clear and specific argument in any case. The complexity, effectiveness, and quality of the entire case hinges on the claim. If your claim is boring or obvious, the rest your reasoning probably will be too. • A claim defines your goals, direction, and scope, and is supported by evidence, quotations, argumentation, expert opinion, statistics, and telling details. • A claim must be argumentative. When you make a claim, you are arguing for a certain interpretation or understanding of your case or subject. Claims • Ex: You should buy our tooth whitening product.
Claims • Data which supports the claim Evidence – First, examine the data. – Second, ask questions based on the data. – Third, reexamine the data. – Fourth, try to answer the questions – Last, the data that supports your answer is EVIDENCE. Ex: Studies show that teeth are 50% whiter after using the product for a specified time.
Claims Evidence Warrants • Warrants may be simply common sense rules that people accept as generally true, laws, scientific principles or studies, or thoughtfully argued definitions. • Warrants that work persuade the reader of the connection between the argument or claim being made and the evidence. • Warrants are the bridge between your claim and your evidence. • Warrants are an explanation of why or how the data supports the claim, the underlying assumption that connects your data to your claim. Ex: People want whiter teeth.
Example • Claim: Hybrid cars are an effective strategy to fight pollution. • Data 1: Driving a private car is a typical citizen's most air polluting activity. • Warrant 1: Because cars are the largest source of private, as opposed to industry-produced air pollution, switching to hybrid cars should have an impact on fighting pollution. • Data 2: Each vehicle produced is going to stay on the road for roughly 12 to 15 years. • Warrant 2: Cars generally have a long lifespan, meaning that a decision to switch to a hybrid car will make a long-term impact on pollution levels. • Data 3: Hybrid cars combine a gasoline engine with a battery-powered electric motor. • Warrant 3: This combination of technologies means that less pollution is produced. According to ineedtoknow. org "the hybrid engine of the Prius, made by Toyota, produces 90 percent fewer harmful emissions than a comparable gasoline engine. "
Claims Evidence Warrants Backing • The backing is the support for the warrants. • The backing can also be thought of as additional logic or reasoning that may be necessary to support the warrant. • Statements that serve to support the warrants (i. e. , arguments that don't necessarily prove the main point being argued, but which do prove the warrants are true. )
