Visuals as support for claims
Visuals can support your argument by providing vivid and detailed evidence and by capturing your readers’ attention. Bar or line graphs, for instance, describe and organize complex statistical data; photographs can immediately and evocatively convey abstract ideas.
Writers in almost every academic field use visual evidence to support their arguments or to counter opposing arguments. For example, to explain a conflict among Southeast Asian countries, a historian might choose a map to illustrate the geography. Or to refute another scholar’s hypothesis about the dangers of a vegetarian diet, a nutritionist might support her claims by using a table to organize and highlight detailed numerical information. (See Types of visuals to suit your purpose.)
As you consider using visual evidence, ask yourself the following questions:
- How does the visual support my argument? Will it provide background information? Present complex numerical information or an abstract idea? Lend authority? Refute counterarguments?
- How will the visual appeal to readers: Logically? Ethically? Emotionally?
- Is the visual accurate, credible, and relevant? What is the source?