1.3 Proving Your Claim

In order to make a convincing argument, you will need to present a strong but debatable claim and then back it up with valid arguments, which you will support with solid evidence. But just presenting the evidence isn't enough. In this text we will repeatedly refer to the DACC process.

The DACC Process

• Data: Support your claim with some combination of facts, statistics, examples, anecdotes, and expert opinion.

• Analysis: Examine and evaluate the data, showing their strengths and limitations.

• Conclusion: Explain what you can reasonably conclude from the data.

• Connection: Explain how the data support your claim.

Considering Your Audience

As you go through the DACC process, you will need to consider your audience. You might ask yourself the following questions:

• How much does the audience already know about this subject? If you are relating a personal experience, you will need to be clear about times, places, and your reasons for taking specific actions. If you are an international student discussing an issue related to your own country, you will find that your audience needs explanation about things you understand without thinking about them. In any piece of writing, there may be political, historical, or technical subjects that need clarification.

• What opinion does my audience most likely have about my claim? You will need to think about the objections your readers are likely to have and answer those objections clearly and respectfully with credible evidence that supports what you say. Do your readers believe that finding new sources of energy will have a negative effect on the economy? Do they think that copyright laws shouldn't apply to works on the internet? You will need to find reasons and evidence that will convince them to rethink their opinions. This process also helps you to evaluate your own claim and the evidence that supports it.

• What assumptions do my readers have about the subject or me as a writer? As you write your paper, you will need to ask yourself what assumptions your readers probably have about you and your subject. Suppose you are writing about a particular politician. Your readers may assume they know that this politician will vote to increase military spending because they know her political party. But perhaps on this issue the politician does not agree with the party, or perhaps the voters back home will be angry if she votes the way she would like to. You will need to work to change these beliefs by presenting thoughtful reasons and convincing evidence—not necessarily the reasons and evidence that have convinced you, but the reasons and evidence that are most likely to convince your particular audience.

• What kind of evidence is most likely to be convincing? This is the data part of the DACC process. Depending on the type of paper you are writing, you may be presenting some or all of the following:

• Anecdotes and other examples

• Statistics, established facts, and scientific studies

• Expert opinion

It is important to think about your audience as you decide what combination of argument and evidence will be most effective. For example, suppose you want to engage your reader in a certain social cause, like providing more facilities for people without housing. You might use an anecdote—perhaps telling the story of a mother who is homeless because she can't pay her child's medical bill. You might also use description, painting a word picture of the aging facility where homeless people currently go, drawing attention to the leaky roof, inadequate heating, and smelly bathrooms. Once the reader's emotions are engaged, you might want to go on to share statistics that show how widespread the problem is and how much money will be needed to build new facilities. Finally, you might include some quotes from experts who have studied the issue or perhaps those who work with people struggling with homelessness.

It is also important to consider your specific writing assignment. An essay or article is likely to include personal experiences and other anecdotes, which tend to appeal to the emotions of the reader. In a scientific or other researched argument paper (see Chapter 8), it is expected that you will use measurable data from research studies and other reliable evidence. Personal experiences are not appropriate in this kind of paper.

• How will I show that the evidence really proves my claim? For each section of evidence, you will need to do the following:

  1. Show that the evidence is trustworthy by analyzing it. Show where the evidence comes from, perhaps by explaining how the results of a study were obtained and evaluating the results to show their merits. You will also need to be honest about the limitations of the evidence. It is important to assume that your audience is critically reading your work. If, for instance, you are quoting someone with a clear political agenda or using data gathered by the company that markets a product, you will need to discuss the limited value of that evidence. This strengthens your paper by showing that you have carefully evaluated the data.

  2. Draw a conclusion from the evidence, showing how it proves the point you are making in this section of the paper. A scientific study may be impressive, but data alone is not enough, even with your own careful analysis. You must show the connection between the data and the point you are making in that section of the paper.

  3. Connect the conclusion you reached in each section with your overall claim. This is generally done in the final section of the paper, where you not only summarize points but also re-evaluate them and look at them with new insight. The conclusion often includes recommendations for further study, policy changes, or actions that indiviuals can take.

In many cultures, students are taught to present evidence in an elegant and flowery way, and let the reader decide how and why it supports the claim. English writing is reader-based. This means that the writer takes a large part of the responsiblity for the reader's understanding. Therefore, when writing in English, make clear connections between the claim, the evidence, and the reasonable conclusion you draw from the evidence. Don't leave the reader guessing what your point is.

However, even when the writer shows the connections, a careful reader still evaluates a piece of writing each step of the way. A critical reader asks: Is the claim clear and arguable? Is the evidence credible? Does the evidence really support the claim? Are the conclusions reasonable, based on the evidence? Even though it is the writer's responsibility to make conclusions and connections for the reader, the reader is still a partner in the communication.

A successful paper is the result of both skill and art. It requires logical thinking, careful examination of evidence, and insightful understanding of the audience. It also requires your best use of imagination, creativity, and passion for your subject. That is why, although the purpose of writing is to change an audience, if done with true commitment, your writing will also change you.