paper for Prof. Moses
Wilson Li
making_claims.pptxMaking Your Claim
Be specific
Making your claim specific
Vague claims lead to vague arguments.
The more specific your claim, the more it helps you plan your argument.
Compare these claims
1) There are challenges and risks associated with using social media in disaster/crises situations but also some benefits.
2) The benefits of using social media in disaster/crises situations far outweigh the challenges and risks because social media’s capabilities such as mapping services, messages, group collaboration platforms and more serve as powerful tools for emergency response operations.
Making specific claims
The first claim is so vague we don’t have any idea what the writer will develop in the paper.
The second claim has concepts that not only help us understand the claim more clearly, but also give the writer a clear set of concepts to develop in the paper.
How to write a ‘working claim’
The second claim is a bit long but the best way to develop a claim is to write a ‘draft’ claim and look at the themes you want to develop from that claim. This will lead you to your specific final claim.
How to make a claim
Introduce your claim with a qualifying clause beginning with ‘although’ or ‘even though’
Example 1:
Although/Even though there are challenges and risks associated with social media in disaster/crises situations …….
State your claim
(I claim that) the benefits of using social media in these situations far outweigh the risks…..
Follow this with a ‘because’ clause
because social media capabilities such as mapping services, messages, group collaboration platforms and more serve as powerful tools for emergency response operations.
Concepts to develop from this claim
1.Explain the challenges and risks associated with using social media as identified by the authors of the three articles.
2. Explain the benefits of using social media in disaster/crises situations as identified by the authors of the three articles. Itemize or pay particular attention to the capabilities you list e.g. mapping etc.
3. Support your claim by explaining how the authors of the three studies found that these social media capabilities served as powerful tools for emergency response operations.
Claim #2
Although/Even though public officials/disaster management teams are concerned about the chaotic, subjective and totally unverifiable nature of information that circulates through social media applications,
(I claim that) social media have the potential to facilitate public participation and communication between governmental institutions and citizens
because individuals who are using social media have already developed a great bond of trust with other members of their online social communities.
Concepts to develop through this claim
1. Why/how is the information that circulates through social media applications chaotic, subjective and totally unverifiable? How do the findings of the 3 authors of the studies support this claim?
2. How/why are public officials concerned about the nature of information that circulates through social media applications?What do the three authors say about this?
More concepts to develop
3. How does social media have the potential to facilitate public participation and communication between governmental institutions and citizens – what evidence do the three authors provide to support this?
4. How have individuals using the social media tools already developed a great bond of trust with other members of their online social communities. What evidence do the three authors provide to support this?
Claim #3
Although/Even though governments/public officials are considered experts in disaster management situations,
(I claim that) there is a notable shift of influence/power from government and officials to civilians who are highly engaged in dialogue with other individuals
because these ‘amateur’ civilians are more considered as experts than the government itself.
Concepts to develop for claim #3
1. Why/how according to the three authors are governments/public officials considered ‘experts’ in the field of disaster management?
2. Why is there a noticeable shift of power – what is causing this (according to the three authors in the articles we have studied).
3. How/why are civilians engaged in dialogue with other individuals (why do they seek out each other – what evidence do the three authors provide to support this.
4. Why/how are these amateur civilians considered more ‘expert’ than the government itself. What do the three authors say about this issue?
Synthesis/Analysis Paper Outline
Paragraph 1: State your claim in the form of
Although/Even though X,
( I claim that) Y,
because or reason(s) Z.
Paragraph 2:
Explain concept (1) Give reasons why you say this and support this reason with evidence from the three studies you are ‘synthesizing’.
Paragraph 3:
Explain concept (2) Give reasons why you say this and support this reason with evidence from the three studies you are ‘synthesizing’.
Paragraph 4:
Explain concept (3) Give reasons why you say this and support this reason with evidence from the three studies you are ‘synthesizing’.
Repeat this pattern
Use this pattern to explain all the concepts in your claim. Explain and support each concept in a separate paragraph.
For this paper, you do not need to include an introduction or conclusion.
You must include/synthesize reasons and evidence to support your claims from the three studies we have read.
You must include all citations and references.
It’s a draft
Remember this is a draft – do your best to follow the suggested pattern. It does not have to be perfect but it must include your specific claim, reasons and evidence to support the claim synthesized from the three studies.
We will revise, improve on and ‘build’ this ‘work in progress’ over the next few weeks of the course. What you are learning is ‘a process’ to building a literature review.
