Communication Library Resources: Argument and Persuasion Resources

As you create arguments and attempt to persuade others through research papers and conversations with others, you should avoid using logical fallacies, or arguments that are fundamentally flawed in reasoning. You should also be aware of these logical fallacies when evaluating information presented all around you!  According to the video presented above by the Mometrix YouTube channel, below are the "top ten" logical fallacies.

1. Circular reasoning "is when the argument is restated rather than proven" and not further supported.

2. Hasty generalization "is when someone makes a sweeping statement without considering all of the facts."

3. Slippery slope "is a conclusion based on the premise that one small step will lead to a chain of events resulting in some significant event, which is usually negative."

4. Straw man "is a technique where someone distorts an opponent's claim so that it is easier to refute, or where someone tries to refute a point someone made by giving a rebuttal to a point they did not make."

5. Ad Hominem " is an attack on a person’s character or personal attributes in order to discredit their argument."

6. False dichotomy "occurs when an argument presents two points while disregarding or ignoring others in order to narrow the argument in one person’s favor. This is also known as an “either/or” fallacy."

7. Appeal to emotion "is when a writer or speaker uses emotion-based language to try to persuade the reader or listener of a certain belief or position."

8. Equivocation "is when an argument is presented in an ambiguous, double-sided way, making the argument misleading."

9. Bandwagon appeal "is an appeal that presents the thoughts of a group of people in order to persuade someone to think the same way."

10. False analogy " also known as a weak analogy, is when two things that are unalike are being compared based on a trivial similarity in order to prove a point."

Watch the video for more details and examples. Be sure to craft your arguments carefully and search the MCTC Library databases for credible sources of information and data! 

Image by rawpixel from Pixabay 

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When you search the Internet for a potential source, you must evaluate whether or not a website or source is appropriate to include in your scholarly research or for your personal information. Keep in mind the following criteria when faced with the challenge to accept or reject information:

• Accuracy: Can the information be verified through other sources?
• Audience: Who is the information aimed at? Professionals in the field? General public? 
• Authorship: Who wrote the page? Is the person or authoring institution a qualified authority? Can you identify the authors credentials?
• Content: Is someone just trying to give their point of view? Or are they trying to sell you something? Is the information relevant to your research? What can the URL tell you? Is it a Commercial, Organization, Education, Government site? (.com; .org; .edu; .gov) 
• Date of Publication: When was the webpage written? Current, timely? Is it out of date? Are there "dead links" on the page? 
• Fairness: Is the page fair and balanced as a reliable source? Is there an obvious bias to the information presented? 

Need help with statistics or quotations? Search these online resources!