Answer:
A claim persuades, argues, convinces, proves, or provocatively suggests something to a
reader who may or may not initially agree with you. What most non-academics mean by
argument is usually a polar opposition or heated debate: I win/you lose; you‟re a
Democrat/I‟m a Republican; I‟m for the death penalty/you‟re a bleeding-heart liberal
against the death penalty; I‟m pro-choice/you‟re against choice. Though academic
arguments can be just as heated and draw on political, social, cultural, or personal positions
and experiences, academic claims are different—often more complex, nuanced, specific, and
detailed. Most academic argument is bounded by what is considered debatable or up for
inquiry within a discipline, acknowledging that some questions are already settled (though
that too may end up being debatable).
