Chapters 7-10 of The Craft of Research lay out a strategy and road-map to crafting, supporting, and defending a compelling research argument that shares the claims we’re making and the solutions we’re proposing to the specific, meaningful research problem we established using the helpful methods the authors discussed in Part II. I think the authors’ framing of this argument as a conversation between the writer and their reader is an effective metaphor that explains what the five key elements of every argument are, underlines their importance in the narrative structure of an argument, and provides a useful framework for recalling these elements:
(1) Claim (an assertion that demands support): What do you want me to believe? What’s your point?
(2) Reasons (an assertion that supports a claim): Why do you say that? Why should I agree?
(3) Evidence (data deployed to support a reason, not always framed as an assertion): How do you know? Can you back it up?
(4) Acknowledgement and Response: But what about…?
(5) Warrant: How does that follow? What’s your logic? Can you explain your reasoning?
(p. 111-2)
The distinction here between reasons and evidence is an important one, especially for our focus on Data Visualization. I find myself often jumping to data points and thinking about compelling way to visualize that data without taking a step back to think about the reason to which it provides a foundation – this data is a piece of a broader narrative and argument, not the argument itself. Like much of the first reading, seeing the structure of a claim being because of a reason being supported by evidence (p.114) seems so obvious and self-apparent, but having this explicit framework helps conceptualize approaching how to construct my argument and should help prevent my thoughts from spinning into disorganization.
I also found their focus on developing claims that were specific and significant insightful, as was their continued focus on how we can establish and maintain credibility with our readers through what they call "creating an ehos by thickening your argument" (p. 119). This is done by limiting the scope of our claims, acknowledging shortcomings and counterpoints, and establishing a respectable character in how we present our argument.
The practical piece of advice I found most helpful from this section was their proposed narrative storyboarding on page 133 – concisely articulating each reason on a notecard with supporting evidence underneath while adjusting the positioning of that reason to form a cohesive narrative. This is something I think could make a great in-class exercise once we’ve refined our arguments and claims a bit, and is something I will probably do at home more than once as I organize my thoughts.
The final sections that stuck out with me in this section are the passages about how “…facts are shaped by those who collect them and again by the intentions of those who use them” (p.136) and the discussions of knowing your audience (or readers). First, no data being completely and incorruptibly "raw data" is a topic we talk about a lot in this program and something that is so important for us to have top of mind as we compile research/data and share that information. We not only need to ensure evidence we're collecting is reliable and relevant, but that we're sharing that evidence in a way that retains the integrity of this data and is perceived in a way that communicates how it provides evidence to support the reason we're presenting. Finally, so much in this section was rightly focused on the reader – what questions they’ll have, what specificity is relevant to them, what sources they give credibility to, etc. We haven’t yet had explicit discussions or conversations about who our audience for this project. Investing more time up front on defining this aspect of our research and the resulting visualization will pay off dividends for all our projects. This is definitely something I’d like to devote class time to if possible – strategies for defining our audience, understanding their needs/questions, and researching/designing to meet those needs or answer those questions.