Study Guide for Tomorrow's Quiz

Chapter 7

1. "Making the implicit explicit" - The idea behind this is to state as much as possible about the assumptions made as an author so the reader does not lose your point based on ambiguity.

2. "What goes wrong in using a thesis is the result of a writer leaping too quickly to a generalization ... and treating evidence only as something to be mustered in support of that idea." - This points to a practice of collecting data first and using that data to formulate a thesis later.

3. Unsubstantiated claims - This is the mistake that writers will make of putting out the conclusion of some evidence while omitting the evidence. Doing this deprives the reader of the details which could clarify the conclusion.

4. Distinguishing evidence from claims - This is something that the reading suggests that we do in order to make sure that a claim we make is not an unsubstantiated claim.

5. What counts as evidence? - This focuses on two questions we should ask ourselves before using a piece of information as evidence for our claims: First, is the information relevant? Second, is the information colored by the point of view?

Chapter 5

1. "Binaries are dangerous ... they perpetuate reductive thinking" - This underlines that using binaries often paints an issue as something that is black and white, when in reality it may be far from it.

2. Analyze and Define Key Terms - By making sure that the definitions of important words are clear, we can reduce ambiguity and make sure that our argument is properly framed. 

3. Simple Cause/Complex Effect Error - The section on this error pointed out that boiling your entire issue down to a single cause will lead you to ignoring a wealth of other information and viewpoints. 

4. Substitute "To what extent?" for "either/or" - By using "to what extent?", you end up looking at both sides of the argument and finding valid points for both sides. This will lead you to favor one side over the other as opposed to completely supporting one side while completely opposing the other. 

5. Problems with Debate-Style Argument - This section points out that arguing does not necessarily imply opposition, but rather implies reasoning and attempting to understand other viewpoints. However, those who enter with the mindset that they will be arguing an issue often fall into the trap of assuming this means opposition to the other point or points of view.