20 What Is an Academic Argument?

When we talk about argument in an academic setting, we mean something different than a disagreement or a fight. Instead, an academic argument is a claim or opinion supported by evidence written to convince an audience that the claim is sound. These types of arguments depend on several academic conventions. In this section, we will learn more about three common methods of creating an academic argument: Aristotelian (Classical), Toulmin, and Rogerian. These three approaches often anticipate different audiences. All of them require a thesis statement that takes a stance on something.

In Unit One, you developed a research question and answered it using credible, high-quality sources. As part of your research, you likely discovered a problem or set of problems associated with the topic you explored. In Unit Two, you’ll take one of these problems and argue for a solution. This type of academic argument is sometimes called a problem/solution argument.

Essay Two Assignment Instructions

Role: You are a member of an advocacy group (real or imagined). Your advocacy group may be a nonprofit organization, or you may choose a role as a consultant for a business.

Situation: You want to educate the public about an issue you discovered by writing your exploratory essay, OR another issue that matters to you and impacts you directly (local community or related to your career). You must obtain approval from your instructor if you change your topic.

Task: Use the knowledge you gained in Essay One to write a 6–8-page (2000-2500 word) researched problem/solution persuasive argument essay that could be published on your organization’s website or in a local publication like the Boise Weekly or a national magazine such as The Atlantic or The New Yorker.

Purpose: Win hearts and minds. Show your audience:

1) There is a problem.

 2) They should care about it.

3) What can and should be done about the problem (solution).

4) Why your solution is the best one.

Important notes:

• Your goal for this paper is to inform the public or a specific audience that has the power to change this issue and make them care about your problem. At a minimum, the problem must affect you and others you don’t know. It must somehow impact quality of life, affect the local economy, or violate human rights. In other words, this needs to be a significant problem—not just an annoyance or inconvenience to you.
• In choosing the problem you’ll aim to solve, consider what you learned (or didn’t learn) from your exploratory paper. What problems did you discover in that research?
• If you don’t feel like your exploratory essay brought up any significant problems, or you want to choose a new topic for this essay, you may do so, but this will involve additional work. The benefit of choosing something even loosely related to your first essay is that you’ve already done some of the work; you already have some connections and some sources to re-use.

Step 1: Brainstorm—So what? Define the problem and stake your claim for the solution.

Step 2: Draft the essay. 

Step 3: Revise the essay based on peer review feedback. 

Final Paper Requirements

• 2000-2500 words (6-8 pages, not including references or cover page), typed, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font OR Calibri/Arial 11-point font
• 5 or more quality sources (but not more than 8 sources), which must include the following:
  • Two peer reviewed journal articles (these can be the same ones you used in essay one)
  • An advocacy organization website OR at least one opinion essay from a credible author who agrees with your solution
  • At least one opinion essay from a credible author who disagrees with your solution
  • Any other sources such as interviews, YouTube videos, etc. that may be useful to establishing your problem and advocating for your solution (if you use the same broad topic, these can be the same sources you used in essay one).

Tips for Success

• Starting the paper with a brief story about how the problem affects you is an effective way to catch your reader’s interest. Concluding the paper with an echo back to that story helps to bring the argument full circle.
• Use the Unit Two reading discussion assigned essays as examples for approach and structure.
• Avoid logical fallacies.
• Start your research with a person or organization, not Google or generative AI.
• Use our library. It’s a wonderful place to get some extra help with sources.
• Use the CWI Writing Center. The tutors are there to help you. If you go, be sure to bring a copy of the assignment with you. Note that the Writing Center is also available online.
• Consider using generative AI to help you develop and refine your problem, solution, and counterargument.

Some Do’s and Don’ts

• No big vague concepts, such as “no traffic control.” Be precise: “There are no stop signs, traffic circles, or traffic lights for a 10-mile stretch between Hereville and Thereville.”
• No absent solutions such as “we have a lack of money and thus children don’t go to school.” Instead, the problem is that “school fees are not affordable for families in our community.”
• No formulation of interpretations or snap judgments, such as “the government is lazy.” Instead, “Fish and Wildlife does not issue hunting licenses in time for bow season.”

Sample AI Acknowledgment Statement (Appendix I)

I acknowledge the use of [ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, Claude, etc.] in writing and revising this essay. I used this tool to [explain how you used the tool—brainstorming, outlining, etc.]. Here are links to my chats OR Here are screenshots of my chats OR I have copied and pasted my chats below.