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Read more about A Dam Good Argument - 1st Edition

A Dam Good Argument - 1st Edition

(4 reviews)

Liz Delf, Corvallis, Oregon

Rob Drummond, Corvallis, Oregon

Kristy Kelly, Corvallis, Oregon

Copyright Year: 2022

Publisher: Oregon State University

Language: English

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Attribution Attribution
CC BY

Reviews

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Reviewed by Andrea LoMonaco, Adjunct Faculty, Tillamook Bay Community College on 12/11/23

The text covers the full range of argument concepts including emotional appeals, fallacy, critical thinking and rhetorical models. It also addresses the use of sources, mechanics and other basic composition elements, making the need for a separate... read more

Reviewed by Terry Lovern, Adjunct Instructor, Radford University on 11/6/23

The book does a great job of taking the reader step by step through the writing process. The text is very comprehensive overall with a nice scaffolding approach through each chapter; however, it could benefit with writing examples in different... read more

Reviewed by Karen Pleasant, Adjunct Instructor, Rogue Community College on 3/7/23

The textbook is thorough in its coverage of writing an argumentative research paper. It walks the students through the process from constructing arguments ethically to developing a research question. It looks at the four tiers of sources and... read more

Reviewed by Brenda Coston, Assistant Professor, Honolulu Community College on 11/8/22

The text starts by explaining why students need to craft a good argument regardless of what profession they take on. What is intriging about this text and what draws readers to it is it's real approach--not pretentious--but instead, down to earth... read more

Table of Contents

  • I. Introduction to Argument at the College Level
  • II. Analyzing Persuasion
  • III. Constructing Arguments
  • IV. Working with Sources
  • V. Style, Form, Mechanics
  • Alternatives to Traditional Grading
  • Antiracist and Inclusive Pedagogy Resources
  • Creative Commons License
  • Versioning

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About the Book

Arguments are all around us. Everywhere we look, someone is trying to get our attention, change our minds, or sell us something. Learning about how persuasion works will make you a more thoughtful and skeptical consumer of all that content, so that you can come to your own conclusions and recognize the underlying assumptions that inform those attempts to persuade you. This book is about analyzing others' arguments and crafting your own. The rhetorical choices that you make as a writer–from evidence to structure to tone–impact how your audience will receive your ideas. Using those tools effectively will help your voice be heard.

About the Contributors

Authors

Liz Delf (MA, Oregon State University '11) developed and piloted the Career Preparation for English Majors course in 2017. She teaches writing across the university and beyond, including sections for the Honors College, INTO, the Beijing Normal University Summer Program, and an INTEL Technical Writing Boot Camp. Courses regularly taught at OSU include English Composition, Argumentation, Technical Writing, Writing in Business, and Intro to Literature: Fiction. Her MA thesis, "'Born of Ourselves': Gendered Doubling and the Femme Fatale in Vernon Lee's Ghost Stories" was selected for the OSU Outstanding Thesis Award in 2011. 

Rob Drummond, Oregon State University

Kristy Kelly, Oregon State University

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