Argument Analysis

How to Become an Ace in the Argument Analysis

An argument analysis is critical in business communication and life, because you have to estimate other person’s arguments and come up with your own. Moreover writing a research paper means performing the argument analysis, since without argumentation it becomes an art work. It is obvious that the argument analysis is crucial for each of us. Let us find out how to become an ace in performing the argument analysis.

Specialists in communication suggest the following recommendations for an argumentative analysis:

1. Strong, weak, the strongest. There is a formula that makes your argumentation look more imposing: ‘strong – weak – the strongest’. It describes in what order your arguments should be presented so as to be more persuasive.
2. Logic. In the argument analysis you have to examine if the argument is logical, connected with other arguments and there is no contradiction between them. Also it is of importance that every argument has to be logically connected with its evidence.
3. Support. Every argument must be supported by evidence, i.e. facts, numbers, surveys and etc. Otherwise it is not an argument but your own point of view.

It is important to discuss widespread mistakes that are made when the argument analysis is performed. If you want to develop critical thinking and resist obtrusion of someone’s opinions on you, read the following carefully.

The argument analysis: Typical mistakes

• Point of view. A point of view is subjective, thus if it is not supported by convincing evidence, it can not be an argument.
• Authorities. This mistake is closely connected with the previous one. A point of view of the authority is an argument only with proper support.
• Wrong evidence. This is one of the most widespread mistakes, which appears when the argument is not supported by the evidence. To avoid such situation in your communication or research paper, you should, primarily, think and, secondly, follow the recommendation number 2.
• Generalization. A widespread opinion or behavior is not an argument, even if it is shared by the majority of people. Remember, that traditions are not an argument either when you perform the argument analysis.

Take the recommendations in this article into account and mind mistakes to succeed in performing the argument analysis. After a wile you will develop critical thinking, which is extremely important in many life situations, and moreover you will be able to provide arguments for critical thinking analysis.