Academic writingLesson 1 of 1 in the course Argumentative Research: Enhancing the Art of Rhetoric with Evidence

Research Arguments, Research Practices, and Source Types

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

Save course
Lesson progress
0 / 5

Your progress is kept in this browser only.Sign up to save it

Summary

Research helps writers develop and support a perspective on an issue that can be debated. This lesson introduces the shared practices of research and explains how they contribute to a persuasive, well-supported final product.

An argumentative research project uses evidence to develop a position on a debatable issue. A debatable issue has more than one perspective and is open to disagreement. The researcher’s task is not simply to collect facts: it is to use evidence and reasoning to help an audience understand and consider a viewpoint.

All flashcards

Argumentative research project
A project that uses evidence to develop a position on a debatable issue.
Research synthesis
Connecting evidence and ideas from different sources to support claims or develop reasoning.
Primary source
A firsthand account or material produced from direct experience or observation.
Secondary source
A source removed from firsthand experience that often analyzes or interprets other sources.
Context-dependent source classification
A source’s primary or secondary role can depend on the research question and its use.

Quiz questions

  1. What is the central purpose of an argumentative research project?Answer: To use evidence and reasoning to support a position on a debatable issue.
  2. How do common research practices typically relate to one another?Answer: They can overlap and recur rather than follow a rigid order.
  3. A researcher studies a signed letter written by a witness during the event being investigated. What kind of source is the letter for that research?Answer: A primary source based on firsthand experience.
  4. When may a textbook be classified as a tertiary source?Answer: When its main purpose is to summarize or condense information.
  5. A biography analyzes Artist Y and was written by Scholar X. How can it function as a primary source?Answer: For research about Scholar X, because X produced the biography.

Based on Writing Guide with Handbook by Michelle Bachelor Robinson, Maria Jerskey, featuring Toby Fulwiler (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

More in Academic writing

All Academic writing lessons
Academic writingDecolonizing Identity and Reflecting on Academic Writing5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Academic writingReflecting on Research and the Writing Process in Profile Writing5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Academic writingSelf-Evaluating a Literacy Narrative with Rubric Criteria5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Academic writingEditing Visual Descriptions with Concrete, Precise Diction5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Academic writingAnalyzing Persuasion in Evicted: Claims, Appeals, Evidence, and Evaluation5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Academic writingResearch Logs: Source Notes, Thesis Development, and Synthesis5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →