Good Reasons Researching and Writing Effective Arguments

by Faigley, Lester; Selzer, Jack

• ISBN13: 9780321906748
• ISBN10: 0321906748
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-01-06
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Engaging and accessible to all students, Good Reasons is a brief, highly readable introduction to argument by two of the country's foremost rhetoricians.

 

By stressing the rhetorical situation and audience, this argument rhetoric avoids complicated schemes and terminology in favor of providing students with the practical means to find "good reasons" to argue for the positions they take. Good Reasons helps students read, analyze, and write various types of arguments, including visual, verbal, and written. Supporting the authors' instruction are readings by professional and student writers and over 75 visuals.  Good Reasons is distinctive for its discussion of why people write arguments, its coverage of rhetorical analysis and visual analysis in a brief format, its close attention to reading arguments, and its thorough attention to research.

 

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Table of Contents

Part 1 Reading and Discovering Arguments 1

 

Chapter 1: Making an Effective Argument 2

What Exactly Is an Argument? 3

Finding Good Reasons 4

Writing Arguments in College 5

Arguments as Turns in a Conversation 7

A Case Study: The Microcredit Debate 8

 

Chapter 2: Reading Arguments 12

Explore Controversies 12

Read Critically 13

Finding Good Reasons 14

Recognize Fallacies 16

It’s on the Internet 17

Map and Summarize Arguments 20

 

Chapter 3: Finding Arguments 22

Find Arguments in Everyday Conversations 23

Find a Topic 25

What Is Not Arguable 26

Finding Good Reasons 27

Campus 28

Community 29

Nation/World 29

Explore Your Topic 30

Read About Your Topic 32

Find Good Reasons 35

Find Evidence to Support Good Reasons 37

 

Chapter 4: Drafting Arguments 39

Think About Your Purpose 40

State and Evaluate Your Thesis 40

Think About Your Readers 42

Finding Good Reasons 43

Organize Your Argument 45

Write an Engaging Title and Introduction 47

Write a Strong Conclusion 48

 

Chapter 5: Revising and Editing Arguments 49

Evaluate Your Draft 49

Checklist for evaluating your draft 50

Respond to the Writing of Others 51

Finding Good Reasons 52

Revise Your Draft 54

Edit and Proofread Carefully 55

 

Part 2 Analyzing Arguments 57

 

Chapter 6: Analyzing Written Arguments 58

What Is Rhetorical Analysis? 58

Build a Rhetorical Analysis 59

Analyze the Rhetorical Features: Textual Analysis 59

Analyze the Rhetorical Context 64

Write a Rhetorical Analysis 70

Steps to Writing a Rhetorical Analysis 71

Barbara Jordan, Statement on the Articles of Impeachment 73

Sample Student Rhetorical Analysis 77

T. Jonathan Jackson, An Argument of Reason and Passion: Barbara Jordan’s “Statement on the Articles of Impeachment” 77

 

Chapter 7: Analyzing Visual and Multimedia Arguments 81

What Is a Visual Argument? 81

What Is a Multimedia Argument? 83

Analyze Visual Evidence 85

Ask These Questions When You Are Analyzing Charts and Graphs 87

Build a Visual Analysis 87

Write a Visual Analysis 92

Sample Student Visual Analysis 92

Chrissy Yao, “Use Only What You Need”: The Denver Water Conservation Campaign 93

 

Part 3 Writing Arguments 95

 

Chapter 8: Definition Arguments 96

Understand How Definition Arguments Work 97

Recognize Kinds of Definitions 97

Build a Definition Argument 99

King’s Extended Definition Argument 102

Finding Good Reasons 103

Steps to Writing a Definition Argument 104

Michael Pollan, Eat Food: Food Defined 106

Sample Student Definition Argument 112

Patrice Conley, Flagrant Foul: The NCAA’s Definition of Student Athletes as Amateurs 112

 

Chapter 9: Causal Arguments 117

Understand How Causal Arguments Work 118

Find Causes 119

Build a Causal Argument 121

Steps to Writing a Causal Argument 124

Finding Good Reasons 126

Emily Raine, Why Should I Be Nice to You? Coffee Shops and the Politics of Good Service 127

Sample Student Causal Argument 134

Armadi Tansal, Modern Warfare: Video Games’ Link to Real-World Violence 134

 

Chapter 10: Evaluation Arguments 138

Understand How Evaluation Arguments Work 139

Recognize Kinds of Evaluations 140

Build an Evaluation Argument 141

Finding Good Reasons 143

Steps to Writing an Evaluation Argument 144

Glenn Loury, A Nation of Jailers 146

Sample Student Evaluation Argument 155

Jenna Picchi, Organic Foods Should Come Clean 155

 

Chapter 11: Narrative Arguments 162

Understand How Narrative Arguments Work 163

Recognize Kinds of Narrative Arguments 163

Build a Narrative Argument 165

Steps to Writing a Narrative Argument 166

Finding Good Reasons 168

Gregory Kristof, On the Ground with a “Gap Year” 169

 

Chapter 12: Rebuttal Arguments 173

Understand How Rebuttal Arguments Work 174

Recognize Kinds of Rebuttal Arguments 175

Build a Rebuttal Argument 178

Finding Good Reasons 179

Steps to Writing a Rebuttal Argument 180

Ron Reagan, Speech at the Democratic National Convention, July 27, 2004 182

Richard M. Doerflinger, Don’t Clone Ron Reagan’s Agenda 185

Sample Student Rebuttal Argument 188

Marta Ramos, Oversimplifying the Locavore Ethic 188

 

Chapter 13: Proposal Arguments 192

Understand How Proposal Arguments Work 193

Recognize Components of Proposal Arguments 193

Build a Proposal Argument 194

Steps to Writing a Proposal Argument 196

Finding Good Reasons 198

Adam Gopnik, The Simple Truth About Gun Control 199

Sample Student Proposal Argument 203

Kim Lee, Let’s Make It a Real Melting Pot with Presidential Hopes for All 203

 

Part 4 Designing and Presenting Arguments 207

 

Chapter 14: Designing Multimedia Arguments 208

Think About Which Media Will Reach Your Audience 208

Know When to Use Visual Evidence 209

Think About the Argument an Image Makes 210

Design Arguments for Print 211

Design Multimedia Arguments 212

 

Chapter 15: Presenting Arguments 214

Plan a Presentation 214

Design Visuals for a Presentation 216

Deliver an Effective Presentation 218

 

Part 5 Researching Arguments 221

 

Chapter 16: Planning Research 222

Analyze the Research Task 222

Find a Subject 223

Ask a Research Question 224

Gather Information About the Subject 224

Draft a Working Thesis 227

 

Chapter 17: Finding Sources 228

Develop Strategies for Finding Sources 228

Find Sources in Databases 229

Common Databases 230

Find Sources on the Web 232

Know the Limitations of Wikipedia 235

Find Multimedia Sources 236

Find Print Sources 237

 

Chapter 18: Evaluating and Recording Sources 239

Determine the Relevance of Sources 239

Determine the Quality of Sources 240

Evaluate Database and Print Sources 242

Checklist for Evaluating Database and Print Sources 242

Evaluate Web Sources 243

Checklist for Evaluating Web Sources 244

Keep Track of Sources 245

 

Chapter 19: Writing the Research Project 248

Review Your Goals and Plan Your Organization 248

Avoid Plagiarism 249

Plagiarism in College Writing 251

Avoid Plagiarism When Quoting Sources 252

Avoid Plagiarism When Summarizing and Paraphrasing 254

Decide When to Quote and When to Paraphrase 256

Write a Draft 258

 

Chapter 20: Documenting Sources in MLA Style 260

Elements of MLA Documentation 260

MLA In-Text Citations 265

MLA Works-Cited List: Books 268

MLA Works-Cited List: Periodicals 271

MLA Works-Cited List: Library Database Sources 273

MLA Works-Cited List: Online Sources 274

MLA Works-Cited List: Other Sources 276

Sample MLA Paper 277

Brian Witkowski, Need a Cure for Tribe Fever? How about a Dip in the Lake? 277

 

Chapter 21: Documenting Sources in APA Style 284

Elements of APA Documentation 284

APA In-Text Citations 287

APA References List: Books 289

APA References List: Periodicals 290

APA References List: Library Database Sources 291

APA References List: Online Sources 292

APA References List: Other Sources 292