A claim persuades, argues, convinces, proves, or strongly suggests something to a reader who may or may not initially agree with you. Many times people turn this into a heated debate.

• I win/You lose

• You're a Democrat/I'm a Republican

• I'm smarter than you/You're dumber than me

• I'm for the death penalty/You're a bleeding-heart liberal against the death penalty

• I'm against state-sanctioned murder/ You want to kill people who kill people to show people that killing people is wrong

• I'm pro-choice/You're against choice and freedom.

• I'm pro-life/ You're for killing babies

 

Although academic arguments can be just as heated and draw on political, social, cultural, or personal positions and experiences, academic claims are different—often more complex, specific, and detailed.

 

An academic argument is bound by what is deemed debatable, meaning it can be supported with reasons that others can accept as true, acknowledging that some points are already settled (though that too may end up being debatable).

 

The "rules" of academic argument exclude the following as support:

• Because it's my personal opinion

• Because my friends or relatives think so or most people think so

• Because it's always been, it's tradition, that's the way it is...

• Because it's obvious

• Because it's morally right

 

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What a Claim Is

A claim is the main argument of an essay. It's the most important part of an academic paper. The complexity, effectiveness, and quality of the entire paper depend on the claim.

A claim is part biased opinion and part logical assertion.

• If your claim is boring or obvious, the rest of the paper probably will be too. A more complicated claim actually makes a paper easier to write by giving you more options to write.

• A claim defines your paper's goals and direction and is supported by evidence, quotations, argumentation, expert opinion, statistics, and telling details.

• A claim must be argumentative. When you make a claim, you're arguing for a certain interpretation or understanding of your subject.

• A good claim is specific. It does not make general blanket statements.

• It makes a focused argument (MTV's popularity is waning because it no longer plays music videos) rather than a general one (MTV sucks).

 

What a Claim Is Not

An argument or claim is not:

• a quarrel involving name-calling and fallacious statements instead of concrete, well-thought out arguments

• an opinionated dispute without any real evidence backing the opinions

• factual information that is not debatable

• a rant that completely disregards the audience

• ideas that are unfounded by logic or empirical truth

 

Fact vs. Claim 

Claims must make an arguable assertion. To test whether your claim is arguable, ask yourself whether it would be possible to argue the opposite. If not, then it's not a claim -- it's more of a fact.

For example:

• Not Arguable: "Computers are becoming an efficient mechanism for managing and transmitting information in large businesses." (Who's going to dispute this? It's not an arguable assertion -- it's a fact.)

• Arguable: "Heavy use of computers may disrupt family cohesion and increase divorce in society." (This is arguable because many people may not believe it. It would make a good thesis!)

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Opinion vs. Arguable Claim 

Opinion:

• Twinkies are delicious.

• Dance music is popular for all the wrong reasons

• I think AMark Twain is better than Shakespeare.

• The governor is a bad man.

 

Argument/Arguable claim:

• Twinkies taste better than other snack cakes because of their texture, their creamy filling, and their golden appearance.

• Dance music has become popular for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of the music;rather, the clear, fast beats respond to the need of people on amphetamines to move, and to move quickly.

• Mark Twain is a more effective writer than Shakespeare because he does not rely on elaborate language devices that ultimately confuses and alienate the reader.

• The governor has continually done the community a disservice by mishandling money, focusing on frivolous causes, and failing to listen to his constituents.

 

What are the differences?

• An argument is supported by evidence, which can be debated/challenged. Opinion is supported by more opinion (and ultimately you end up with something along the lines of “Well, just because, okay?”).

• A claim can be substantiated with research, evidence, testimony, and academic reasoning.

• A claim is something more than statement and support: an arguable claim also goes on to address the “so what?” question, the implications and why we should care in the first place.

• Remember that not all claims are created equal, and though a claim may be arguable, the best claims are focused, specific, complex, and relevant.

 

Counterclaims
In arguing a claim, you should always consider potential counterclaims and counterarguments. For instance, in response to a claim about the Buffalo Bills having a bad defensive line, someone might say: “You're wrong. The Bills defensive problems last year were a result of poor coaching on the part of the defensive coordinator.” This counterclaim denies the validity of the initial claim. Usually, it's important to address counterclaims in your writing.

 

Types of Claim

Any of the claims described below can be used to develop your primary claim (your thesis), but may also be used to develop your sub-claims (sub-topics/main ideas). The most important question to keep in mind as you develop your thesis-claim and sub-claims is, “Is it possible that a significant number of reasonable people could disagree with this thesis or with these sub-claims?” When writing an academic research essay, there is a basic expectation that you contribute something to the discussion of this topic, no matter how small, and that there is room for disagreement. Many times this means that your claim will fall into a certain mold or pattern. Understanding this can help you write a better argument. The following approaches to making a claim will help you and revise your working thesis and sub-claims accordingly. 

 

Claims of fact: Did it happen? Is it true? Does it exist? 

If you choose to make a claim of fact or definition, be sure that you choose a DEBATABLE fact or definition. For example, if a student claimed that the Brazilian Samba was a slow graceful dance, it would only take a few moments of research for me to find that it is actually a fast-paced, rhythmic, and lively dance. So clearly, this claim would not be debatable; there is no argument. However people disagree about many supposed "facts." Claims of fact appear to be statements of fact, but remember that your claim needs to be argumentative, so you want to make a claim about which not everyone would agree. Some claims of fact are not arguable (e.g. The earth orbits the sun). Consider what it is that makes the following claims arguable:

 

Examples: 

• NASA and the US government have spent more than 30 billion dollars to fake the Apollo moon landings and to perpetuate this hoax. (A claim of fact made by Bill Kaysing in his self-published We Never Went to the Moon: America's Thirty Billion Dollar Swindle) 

• A digital divide (inequitable access to technology) between students from wealthier school districts and students from poorer ones has added to the problem of educational success among students from the lower socioeconomic classes and students from ethnic minorities. 

Categorical Arguments: is X a Y?—where you and your audience agree on the meaning of Y 

• Example: Frying or baking starchy foods can create high levels of a potentially cancer-causing chemical called acrylamide, so those French fries that you had at lunch today (X) may be carcinogenic (Y).

• Explanation: When you make a categorical claim, it’s important that the majority of your audience agrees on the meaning of the category. In the example above, the meaning of the category (Y) should be easily agreed upon by most; a carcinogen is something that causes cancer. Whether or not a specific item (starchy foods; X) belongs in that category, however, is open for debate.

 

Claims of definition: What is it? (Is X a Y?, where the meaning of Y is contested) 

Unlike a categorical claim, in a true claim of definition, the arguer can assume that the audience agrees on the meaning of a term (X) that is being placed into a certain category (Y), but it is the definition of the category (Y) that is controversial or arguable. 

• Example: Zygotes and embryos are human beings. 

• Explanation:

  • The definition of a zygote (a diploid cell resulting from the fusion of two haploid gametes; a fertilized ovum) has been vastly agreed upon by biological scientists. Unless you’re a biological scientist, making claims of definition about the meaning of the terms zygote or embryo are not good choices for argumentative topics. 

  • The definition being called into question in the example above is the meaning (definition) of the term “human being” or the meaning of the concept of “life.”

  • Rather than requiring the author to make a scientific judgment, defining the meaning of the term human or the concept of life is more of a moral or philosophical question—one that is much better suited to a college-freshman-level composition assignment.

 

Claims of cause: What caused it? 
Is there a disagreement about a cause related to your issue? Similar to the claims about fact or definition, claims about cause and effect need to beopinionated or debatable. Claims of cause seek to argue a cause and effect relationship. Again, remember that your claim needs to be arguable. Making a claim that cigarette smoking often leads to lung cancer is a causal claim, but not really an arguable one by today’s standards. It is obvious, for example, that smoking causes lung cancer, but one could debate whether or not secondhand smoke causes lung cancer. Consider the following examples of causal claims that are still (at least somewhat) debated. 

• Example: The widespread prescription of antidepressants is directly responsible for an increase in teen suicide rates. 

• Example: The popularity of Barbie among grade-school-aged girls has contributed to the unrealistic standards for beauty and thinness among teen girls and young women. 

 

Claims of resemblance (aka argument by analogy): How is it like something else? 

Compare your topic to something that you believe your audience will relate to easily as a way for your audience to better understand your argument. It’s often a successful strategy to argue that a truth about something that so closely resembles your topic must also be true for your topic. Resemblance arguments are most often developed as a sub-claim that supports the overall claim or thesis of an argument. At times, however, one might choose to develop a resemblance claim as the primary claim or thesis of an argument.

• Example: As one admires the complex purpose, parts, and motion of a wristwatch, knowing that it is the watchmaker who is responsible for its design, so too we should, when admiring the vastly more complex purpose, parts, and motion of the universe, understand that it too has an intelligent maker. (a paraphrase of William Paley’s argument for intelligent design, 1802)

 

Claims about Solutions or Policies: What should we do about it?

This claim is a perfect example of how 2 different claims can overlap each other. Claims about solutions or policies usually work hand in hand with claims about fact or definition. For example, because the healthcare system does not adequately assist Americans (argue that this is a fact), they should be reformed (argue for the solution/policy). Also, any policy relating to under-aged minors is always controversial because it is difficult to define when an adolescent is capable of making a deliberate decision, just as an adult would. Claims of policy suggest a solution to a problem that has been defined or described by an argument. 

• Example: Increased tax dollars for education of prisoners will result in a decrease in the number of released prisoners who re-offend.

• Example: The sale of assault weapons should be banned in the U.S.

 

Claims about Value (or evaluative arguments): Is it good or bad?

Claims about value generally lead to essays that evaluate. Anytime a writer places value on someone or something as "the best" or "superior", that writer is making a claim about value. While writers should always anticipate how to respond to the opposing viewpoint, it is particularly crucial to do so when dealing with a claim about value. Making a claim of value requires that you evaluate your topic or an aspect of your topic. Is it good or bad? valuable or not valuable? desirable or undesirable? and, of course, why?

• Example: Global warming is the most pressing challenge facing the world today.

• Example: The right to bear arms in the US is an important one.

• Example: Physician assisted suicide is immoral.

 

Myths About Claims for Academic Arguments

Myth #1: A claim should be general so that lots of evidence in the text will support its argument. 

Correction: Usually, a really broad claim can only be supported by really broad evidence, which ends up describing rather than arguing. So be specific, be concrete, be focused. Think carefully about what you are trying to argue, what the stakes of your argument are, and use relevant quotes from your supporting material to help you generate a specific claim.

 

Myth #2: A thesis claim shouldn’t include everything the paper is going to say because then it “gives it all away” and eliminates the suspense.

Correction: An argument essay is not a mystery novel—you want to be clear about where you are going with your argument so the reader can follow and understand and believe you. This is not to say that you need to make your main claim an obvious road map nor does it have to be paragraphs long. State what it is you are trying to do, what it is you are trying to argue, and how you plan to accomplish it. The rest of your paper can flesh out your mainclaim with subclaims or your parahraph claims.

 

Myth #3: A claim should and/or can be proved in 3 paragraphs. 

Correction: While your claim will tell you where you need to go, don't feel trapped inside the five-paragraph essay. Do present the information in a reasonable manner and place emphasis appropriately so the reader knows what is important and what is not.

 

Myth #4: A claim should be true or correct beyond a doubt so the reader “buys” the argument.

Correction: Constructing an argument and substantiating a claim is rarely entirely black-or white, on-or-off, all or nothing. Argumentative writing is about being able to articulate a position and argue it using academic evidence. In fact, in your research you may find yourself disagreeing with sources at one point and agreeing with them later in the same essay. Arguments are often a mixture of assertion, acknowledgement, confirmation, refutation, and concession. Complex claims rarely have a single right or wrong answer; rather they are provocations, analyses, explications, or applications of concepts, theories, and ideas.