Many of your college assignments will ask you to read and write arguments about debatable issues. The questions being debated might be matters of public policy (Should corporations be allowed to advertise on public school property?), or they might be scientific issues (Should we attempt to individualize disease therapies based on genetic profiles?). On such questions, reasonable people may disagree.

As you read arguments across the disciplines and enter into academic or public policy debates, pay attention to the questions being asked, the evidence being presented, and the various positions being argued. You’ll find the critical reading strategies—previewing, annotating, and conversing with texts—to be useful as you ask questions about an argument’s logic, evidence, and use of appeals.

Distinguishing between reasonable and fallacious arguments

Distinguishing between legitimate and unfair emotional appeals

Judging how a writer handles opposing views