Response paper 7 "Making an Argument: Writing up human geography projects" by Sarah L. Holloway & Gill Valentine (2001)

2. Response paper 7 "Making an Argument: Writing up human geography projects" by Sarah L. Holloway & Gill Valentine (2001)

The exercise of thesis or renderings of a document in human geography is a job that requires rigor and follows a series of expectations. This original production must be included in the field of geography, but must also provide a result of research conducted by the student who is part of a larger set of reading.

Any argumentative text aims at convincing its addressee and what is done in the thesis exercise. For this you have to follow four steps: choose and understand a theme. This is the general subject covered in the text. Then the thesis is the part where the author presents an opinion to defend, an idea to pass. Then, one needs arguments that are only ideas or observations that justify the thesis that must convince the reader. And finally, examples must be provided to illustrate the argument and to use concrete evidence to make it more convincing. It is then useful to use personal examples, historical, anecdotes, statistics or even images and comparisons. The example is often a special case but can illustrate, through a concrete case, a more general argument.

It is, however, useful to point out that one must always pay attention to the pitfalls of argumentation. If the arguments are not strong enough or if the organization of the ideas shows enormous weaknesses, the message will not pass to the readers. (For example, an incomplete, unsatisfactory argumentation, a subject without interest or a confused structure)

Holloway's article Sarah and Valentine Gill offers two methods for structuring an argument for different types of populations affected by the document that is produced. They describe the two methods through examples of quotes from children aged 11 to 16 on the use of new technologies.

It is imperative to build a solid reading list that is close to the work undertaken but also to have concrete examples to give to structure the argumentation. The authors recommend the methods of Hay (1999) who advise to describe the field of research and read everything that comes close: the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the contribution that the author of the paper can make to discipline through his research work. Ask the right questions on the reading list, the relationships between them and the differences, the conclusions but also the concepts and the methods they use.

Each method has strengths and weaknesses depending on its use. Whatever the chosen analysis, it is preferable that it be in agreement with the person who writes the document and corresponds to the writer's style of writing, research and analysis. In any case, every good thesis analysis is well written if supported by a good plan.

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