Remember that writing in general, and arguments in particular, exist in relationship to a larger conversation that surrounds the topic or subject and helps create the context for a particular argument. When you begin to think about making an argument of your own, then, it’s important to see what other people are saying and thinking about the topic. Doing so often means doing some early research about your topic and learning about how others have approached the topic and what they have contributed to it. Then you can consider how your argument fits into this larger conversation and how it can make its own distinct contributions to it. You can then put your argument out in the world and see how others will respond—and how you might become a part of an ongoing intellectual conversation.