5 Developing an Argument

One of the most important components of a good paper is having a strong argument. Throughout the research process, the student should have made connections between the research and an argument. It is important to establish what the argument will be before writing begins. The argument is an essential part of the structure of the paper and papers with different arguments will likely have different flows. Additionally, if an argument is being formed as the student is writing, that fact will likely be apparent to the reader. The paper would likely lack a direction and feel more like a jumbled mess of thoughts that should have been organized prior to writing. Another important factor is that an argument can spark inspiration in the student. Finding an inspiring argument will not only make the process of writing more enjoyable but will also help the student organize the rest of their thoughts and ideas around a central theme. In a student’s academic career there will likely be papers assigned to them with a bland topic but an interesting argument can provide a new perspective.