Issues, Analysis & Contentions

Understanding Through Questioning

Importance of Asking Key Questions

Failed to ask a key question

“Do the Japanese have the type of ovens needed to bake a cake?”

The Duncan Hines Japanese Cake Disaster

Issues

Questions that need to be asked and answered before a decision on a claim can be made.

Characteristics of Issues

to be Relevant

to be Specific

to be phrased as Questions

to be Neutral

Issues Need

Types of Issues

Potential All possible questions

Admitted Issues agreed by all

Real Remaining useful issues

Ultimate Final key questions

Analysis of Patterns of Issues

Cost/Benefit Which outweighs which?

Priorities What is most important?

Programs Towards program goals

Continuities How claim relates to past

Brainstorming Creatively generating many ideas

Analysis of Patterns of Issues

Claim: We should purchase a puppy.

Analysis of Patterns of Issues

Cost/Benefit

Can we afford purchasing a puppy?

Claim: We should purchase a puppy.

How much will be the vet bills?

How much effort will taking care of the dog be?

Will I have the time to take care of the dog?

Analysis of Patterns of Issues

Cost/Benefit

Will the puppy provide companionship?

Will puppy love me when the wife is mad at me?

Will the puppy be fun?

Will the puppy help the kids learn to appreciate animals?

Claim: We should purchase a puppy.

Analysis of Patterns of Issues

Priorities

Would the cost of the puppy be more useful elsewhere?

Is independence and traveling more important that the enjoyment of a puppy?

Claim: We should purchase a puppy.

Analysis of Patterns of Issues

Continuities

Have we had a puppy in the past?

Are we a dog family?

Claim: We should purchase a puppy.

Analysis of Patterns of Issues

Brainstorming

Would purchasing a puppy get us out of the house more?

Would we be better off with a cat?

Do we have enough room outside for a dog?

Would the dog ruin our backyard?

Claim: We should purchase a puppy.

Types of Issues

Potential

Admitted

Real

Ultimate

Claim: We should purchase a puppy.

Creating Contentions

Ultimate

Do we have enough room outside for a dog?

Have we had a puppy in the past?

Will a puppy love me when the wife is mad at me?

Can we afford purchasing a puppy?

Claim: We should purchase a puppy.

Creating Contentions

The reasons why we accept or reject the claim

or

Contentions are answered issues

Creating Contentions

Originate from your ultimate issues

They are like the topic sentence of your paragraph

Structure your argument

Creating Contentions

Ultimate

Do we have enough room outside for a puppy?

Have we had a puppy in the past?

Will a puppy love me when the wife is mad at me?

Can we afford purchasing a puppy?

We have always had a puppy.

We can afford a puppy.

We have enough room outside for a puppy.

A puppy will always love me.

Claim: We should purchase a puppy.

Creating Contentions

Case: An organized series of contentions

“I will argue that we should purchase a puppy for four reasons.”

We have always had a puppy.

We can afford a puppy.

We have enough room outside for a puppy.

A puppy will always love me.

Claim: We should purchase a puppy.

Remember the Steps

Discover useful issues through analysis and brainstorming

Narrow the issues to the Ultimate Issues

Answer the issues

Organize the issues into a case

State the answers as your contentions

Now We Can Try This

2. Discover a list of at least 10 issues

Discover and Use Issues on a Decision

3. Reduce the list of issues to 2 or 3 ultimate issues

1. Write a decision you might make.

4. Change the ultimate issues to contentions

Remember: make your issues specific not vague

The One Remaining Issue

What is our homework assignment?

2. Discover a list of at least 7 issues

Discover and Use Issues on a Decision of Yours

3. Reduce the list of issues to 2 or 3 ultimate issues

1. Write a decision you are or might make.

4. Change the ultimate issues to contentions

Remember: make your issues specific not vague