A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, Ninth edition - Kate L. Turabian 2018

Assemble an argument
Constructing your argument
Research and writing

Here is a small argument that fits together all five parts:

Video games aimed at children can aid their intellectual development, but that contribution is largely offset by a factor that could damage their emotional development—too much violence._claim Example, parents and child psychologists agree, is a major influence on children’s development. It seems plausible, then, that when children see images of degrading or disturbing behavior, they will be adversely affected by it._warrant In a single day, children see countless examples of violence._reason Every day the average child plays over three hours of video games and sees over twenty acts of violence (Duarte 2012)._evidence Kim has shown that children don’t confuse video-game violence with real life (2015),_{acknowledgment of alternative point of view} but because of their interactivity, video-game violence may affect them nonetheless._response We cannot ignore the possibility that childhood exposure to violent video games encourages the development of violent adults._{claim restated and amplified}

Most of those elements could be expanded to fill many paragraphs.

Arguments in different fields look different, but they all consist of answers to just these five questions:

✵ ▪ What are you claiming?

✵ ▪ What are your reasons?

✵ ▪ What evidence supports your reasons?

✵ ▪ But what about other points of view?

✵ ▪ What principle makes your reasons relevant to your claim?

Your storyboard should answer those questions many times. If it doesn’t, your paper will seem incomplete and unconvincing.