In writing an argument, you take a stand on a debatable issue. The question being debated might be a matter of public policy:

On such questions, reasonable people may disagree.

Reasonable people also disagree about many scholarly issues:

When you construct a reasonable argument, your goal is not simply to win or to have the last word. Your aim is to explain your understanding of the truth about a subject or to propose the best solution available for solving a problem—without being needlessly combative.

In constructing your argument, you join a conversation with other writers and readers. Your aim is to convince readers to reconsider their opinions by offering new reasons to question existing viewpoints.

Argument paper: Jacobs, “From Lecture to Conversation: Redefining What’s ‘Fit to Print’”

Argument paper: Hammond, “Performance Enhancement through Biotechnology Has No Place in Sports”

Argument paper: Lund, “Preserving Yellowstone’s Winter Wilderness”

Argument paper: Sanghvi, “Preserving Winter Access: Snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park”