Acknowledge and respond to readers' points of view - Planning your argument - Part I. Research and writing: from planning to production

A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, 7th edition - Kate L. Turabian 2007

Acknowledge and respond to readers' points of view
Planning your argument
Part I. Research and writing: from planning to production

You may wish it weren't so, but your best readers will be the most critical; they'll read fairly, but not accept everything you write at face value. They will think of questions, raise objections, and imagine alternatives. In conversation, you can respond to questions as others ask them. But in writing, you must not only answer those questions, but ask them. If you don't, you'll seem not to know or, worse, not to care, about your readers' views.

Readers raise two kinds of questions; try to imagine and respond to both.

1. The first kind of question points to problems inside your argument, usually its evidence. Imagine a reader making any of these criticisms, then construct a miniargument in response:

Your evidence is from an unreliable or out-of-date source.

It is inaccurate.

It is insufficient.

It doesn't fairly represent all the evidence available.

It is the wrong kind of evidence for our field.

It is irrelevant, because it does not count as evidence.

Then imagine these kinds of objections to your reasons and how you would answer them:

Your reasons are inconsistent or contradictory.

They are too weak or too few to support your claim.

They are irrelevant to your claim (we discuss this matter in 5.4.4).

2. The second kind of question raises problems from outside your argument. Those who see the world differently are likely to define terms differently, reason differently, even offer evidence that you think is irrelevant. If you and your readers see the world differently, you must acknowledge and respond to these issues, as well. Do not treat these differing points of view simply as objections. You will lose readers if you argue that your view is right and theirs is wrong. Instead, acknowledge the differences, then compare them so that readers can understand your argument on its own terms. They still might not agree, but you'll show them that you understand and respect their views; they are then more likely to try to understand and respect yours.

If you're a new researcher, you'll find these questions hard to imagine because you might not know how your readers' views differ from your own. Even so, try to think of some plausible questions and objections; it's important to get into the habit of asking yourself What could cast doubt on my claim? But if you're writing a thesis or dissertation, you must know the issues that others in your field are likely to raise. So however experienced you are, practice imagining and responding to disagreements. Even if you just go through the motions, you'll cultivate a habit of mind that your readers will respect and that may keep you from jumping to questionable conclusions.

Add those acknowledgments and responses to your storyboard where you think readers will raise them.