How to Argue

Description

How to Argue will banish fears and confusion felt by students demonstrating their ability to argue. Packed with tried and tested advice, this book will guide them through the techniques of forming an academic argument, from contradictions and tensions, to empirical adequacy, structure and presentation.

Contents

Contents

Acknowledgements

Quick route through the book

Introduction: How Not to Argue

1  Getting Started

Introduction

Step One  Does it Matter?

Step Two  Choosing Your Argument

Step Three  The One-Sentence Summary

(rough version)

2  Structuring Your Argument

Introduction

Step One  Sketching it out

Step Two  The One-Sentence Summary

(smooth version)

Step Three  Putting it All Together

3  Arguments for All Occasions

(sub-headings not yet confirmed by author)

4  How to Criticise Arguments

Introduction

Circularity

Simplistic

Reductionist and Determinist

Bias

Teleology

Ad hominem

Conclusion

5  Arguing Out Loud: Oral Presentations

Introduction

The Preparation and Structure of Oral Presentations

Presentation Day

Still Worried? Tips for the Nervous

Nasty Questions

Team Presentations

Finally…Take it Seriously

Conclusion

6  How to be Original

Introduction

New Topics, New Comparisons and New Contexts

Theoretical Collisions

Minor to Major

Listening for What is not being Said

Turning Things on their Head

Doubt Everything

Afterword: Having Something to Say

Glossary: Key Words for Arguers

Further Reading

 References

 Index

Features

• provides the essential advice for all aspects of argument at university, including:

• Choosing and structuring your argument
• Being original
• Arguing in different academic contexts
• Arguing in oral presentations
• Criticising arguments
• The role of argument in dissertations and exams
• Advice from examples and case studies

Also containing a practical glossary of key terms, How to Argue is sure to help you create and present even the most ambitious arguments clearly and convincingly.