Making Strong Claims

1
Making Strong Claims

• The goal of any argument is to
• change the perspective of the audience
• persuade your audience.
• Arguments contain claims that are interesting and
  important and provide reliable evidence
  supporting the claim.
• Thus, the core to any researched argument is the
  combination Claim Evidence

2
Qualities of a Strong Claim

• 1) Claims must be Substantive
• 2) Claims must be Contestable
• 3) Claims must be Specific

3
Claims must be Substantive

• Claims need to say something substantive about
  the subject you are discussing.
• A lack of substance usually indicates an aimless
  walk through data.
• Substantive claims should cause interest in the
  subject for the reader.

4
Claims that are not Substantive

• This paper will discuss the role of evolution on
  the Galapagos Islands.
• Evolution is a process that can occur on Earth.

5
Claims that are not Substantive

• This paper will discuss the role of evolution on
  the Galapagos Islands.
• Evolution is a process that can occur on Earth
• Neither claim tells us anything about evolution,
  nor do they inspire the reader to challenge their
  perspective

6
Claims that are Substantive

• This paper will discuss the role of evolution on
  the Galapagos Islands.
• In the 1970s, two British scientists demonstrated
  aspects of evolution that even Darwin never saw.
• Evolution is a process that can occur on Earth.
• All species on Earth go through the same
  evolutionary processes in the same way.

7
Claims must be Contestable

• Significance is related to the claims
  contestability
• No one contests claims that the reader already
  believes
• Should force the reader to ask for evidence to
  support the claim. (Must ask the reader to change
  or challenge their preconceptions)

8
Claims that are not Contestable

• Darwin went to the Galapagos Islands to research
  his theory of evolution.
• The Smithsonian Naturalist Center shows a wide
  variety of species

9
Claims that are not Contestable

• Darwin went to the Galapagos Islands to research
  his theory of evolution.
• The Smithsonian Naturalist Center shows a wide
  variety of species
• Neither claim challenges the beliefs of the
  reader, nor do they encourage the reader to ask
  for evidence to support the claims

10
Claims that are Contestable

• Darwin went to the Galapagos Islands to research
  his theory of evolution.
• Darwins discoveries provided indisputable
  evidence of Common Ancestry
• The Smithsonian Naturalist Center shows a wide
  variety of species
• The Naturalist Center provided evidence for a
  variety of species, but no evidence of adaptation
  within each species

11
Claims must be Specific

• The claims should avoid vague language
• Include concepts the reader should look for in
  the argument
• Should cover all of the major concepts of the
  argument

12
Claims that are not Specific

• The principles behind evolution are very
  important
• I learned a lot at while I was at the Smithsonian
  Naturalist Center

13
Claims that are not Specific

• The principles behind evolution are very
  important
• I learned a lot at while I was at the Smithsonian
  Naturalist Center
• Neither claims provides any specific information,
  nor do they help the reader prepare to understand
  the evidence

14
Claims that are Specific

• The principles behind evolution are very
  important
• Neo-Darwinism is Darwins theory of evolution
  coupled with Mendels theory of heredity
• I learned a lot at while I was at the Smithsonian
  Naturalist Center
• At the Naturalist Center we studied variation,
  adaptation, and mutation

15
Qualities of a Strong Claim

• 1) Claims must be Substantive
• 2) Claims must be Contestable
• 3) Claims must be Specific

16

• The human genome project has provided lots of
  evidence for the make-up of our genes

17

• The human genome project has provided lots of
  evidence for the make-up of our genes
• Not substantive, not contestable, and not specific

18

• The human genome will be seen as the most
  important discovery of the last century

19

• The human genome will be seen as the most
  important discovery of the last century
• Not specific

20

• Every human cell contains all of the information
  necessary for the functioning of all aspects of
  the human body

21

• Every human cell contains all of the information
  necessary for the functioning of all aspects of
  the human body
• Not contestable

22

• My debate topic will be about the role of the
  human genome project

23

• My debate topic will be about the role of the
  human genome project
• Not substantive (also not very contestable or
  specific)