Friday, October 24

• Understanding the Structure and Goals of Scientific Argument and Position Papers

IPHY 3700 Writing Process Map

The Anatomy of a Scientific Argument

Overall claims: the assertions, views, positions, or conclusions that you want to persuade your readers to accept

Qualifiers, or delimiters: statements that establish the boundaries within which your claim applies and can be generalized

Lines of support: the scientific knowledge, evidence (data), and reasoning that you present to back up your claims

Warrants: the definitions, assumptions, and explanations that link a line of support to an overall claim

Limitations: shortcomings in the lines of support and warrants that you present to back up your claim

Responses to limitations: the scientific knowledge, evidence (data), and reasoning that you present to convince readers that the limitations to your argument don't necessarily "tank" it

Counterarguments: the claims, qualifiers, lines of support, and warrants that compose arguments that oppose yours

Responses to counterarguments: the claims, qualifiers, lines of support, and warrants that you present to acknowledge and refute counterarguments

An Effectively Structured Position Paper

The Preventative Effects of Lifetime Exercise on Breast Cancer

Audience: Undergraduate students in integrative physiology

Overall Claims

An overall claim is the main assertion that the writer wants readers to accept.

Qualifiers

Qualifiers are statements that establish the boundaries within which claims apply and can be generalized.

Overall claim: Zinc is an effective treatment for the common cold.

Qualifiers: Zinc is an effective treatment only when (a) the dose is within a certain range; (b) cold sufferers begin taking zinc within a certain number of hours after symptoms begin; (c) the virus causing the cold is a certain type . . .

Lines of Support

A "line of support" refers to a unitary, focused response to readers who may question the validity of your claim, asking, "What backs it up?" A line of support can be based on (1) data, (2) concepts, or (3) a combination of data and concepts.

Warrants

Warrants are assumptions, definitions, ideas, concepts, and theories that link an argument's line of support to its claim.

Claim: Chiropractic spinal manipulation (CSM) is an effective treatment for asthma.

Data-driven line of support: data from studies showing that subjects treated with CSM experienced a significant reduction in serum cortisol concentration, by 1.5 mg/dl.

Key Warrants:

1. An explanation of how reduced cortisol concentration could actually reduce symptoms of asthma.

2. ??? (Do some brain exercise!)

Limitations and Your Reponses to Them

Limitations are shortcomings in the lines of support and warrants that you present to back up your claim.

Responses to limitations involve the scientific knowledge, evidence (data), and reasoning that you present to convince readers that the limitations to your argument don't necessarily "tank" it.

Counterarguments and Your Reponses to Them

Counterarguments are the claims, qualifiers, lines of support, and warrants that compose arguments that oppose yours

Responses to counterarguments involve the claims, qualifiers, lines of support, and warrants that you present to acknowledge and refute counterarguments

Model Position Papers

On the course Web site, follow these links to model position papers:

In the “Activities & Handouts” menu, click on “Unit Handouts.”

On the “Unit Handouts” page, open the “Unit 4” panel and look for the link to Model Position Papers by Former IPHY 3700 Students