Chapter 12 in The Bedford Researcher is about developing your argument. The first point it makes about developing your argument is how to support your thesis. Step one is to choose reasons that support your thesis statement. Step two select evidence to support your reasons, so for every reason you offer to support your thesis back it up with evidence. Step three decide how to appeal to your readers, which is basically asking them to consider what you have to say.
*You can appeal to your readers through authority, emotion, principles, values, beliefs, character, and logic.
The second point made in the book is assessing the integrity of your argument. Check for fallacies based on distraction like red herring ( an irrelevant & distracting point), ad hominem attacks ( attempts to discredit an idea or argument but saying it cannot be trusted), and irrelevant history ( another form of distraction). Also look for fallacies based on questionable assumptions; sweeping generalizations, straw-man attacks, citing inappropriate authorities, and jumping on a bandwagon. Fallacies based on misrepresentation, and fallacies based on careless reasoning.
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