14e Establish credibility through ethical appeals.
To make your argument convincing, you must first gain the respect and trust of your readers, or establish credibility with them. In general, writers can establish credibility by making ethical appeals (13c) in four ways.
Demonstrating knowledge
A writer can establish credibility first by establishing credentials. To decide whether you know enough to argue an issue credibly, consider the following questions:
- Can you provide information about your topic from sources other than your own knowledge?
- How reliable are your sources?
- If sources contradict one another, can you account for or resolve the contradictions?
- Would a personal experience relating to the issue help support your claim?
These questions may well show that you must do more research, check sources, resolve contradictions, refocus your working thesis, or even change your topic.
Counting Your Own Experience
FOR MULTILINGUAL WRITERS
You may have been told that your personal experience doesn’t count in making academic arguments. If so, reconsider this advice, for showing an audience that you have relevant personal experience with a topic can carry strong persuasive appeal with many English-speaking readers.
Establishing common ground
Many arguments between people or groups are doomed to end without resolution because the two sides seem to occupy no starting point of agreement. The following questions can help you find common ground in presenting an argument. (See also Chapter 21.)
- On this issue, how can you discover opinions that differ from your own?
- What are the differing perspectives on the issue?
- What aspects of the issue can all sides agree on?
- How can you express such common ground clearly to all sides? Can you use other languages or varieties of English to establish common ground with those you address? (See Chapter 22.)
Demonstrating fairness
In arguing a position, writers must deal fairly with opposing arguments (also called counterarguments). Audiences are more inclined to listen to writers who seem to consider their opponents’ views fairly than to those who ignore or distort such views. The following questions can help you discover ways of establishing yourself as open-minded and evenhanded:
- How can you show that you are taking into account all significant points of view?
- How can you demonstrate that you understand and sympathize with points of view other than your own?
- What can you do to show that you have considered evidence carefully, even when it does not support your position?
Some writers, instead of demonstrating fairness, may make unjustified attacks on an opponent’s credibility. Avoid such attacks in your writing.
Visuals that make ethical appeals
In arguments and other kinds of writing, visuals can combine with text to help present a writer or an organization as trustworthy and credible. Like businesses, many institutions and individuals are using logos and other images to brand themselves as they wish the public to see them. The Sustainable Food Laboratory logo, seen here, suggests that the organization is concerned about both food production and the environment.
Visuals that make ethical appeals add to your credibility and fairness as a writer. Just as you probably consider the impression your Facebook profile photo makes on your audience, you should think about what kind of case you’re making for yourself when you choose images and design elements for your argument.
Watch and respond to the video Facing a challenging argument.