Search results
1 – 10 of over 3000Soledad Estrella, Sergio Morales, Maritza Méndez-Reina, Pedro Vidal-Szabó and Alejandra Mondaca-Saavedra
This paper aims to describe the statistical arguments produced by third-grade students (8–9 years old) and to identify the teaching support for collective argumentation in a…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe the statistical arguments produced by third-grade students (8–9 years old) and to identify the teaching support for collective argumentation in a lesson based on data comparison. A Lesson Study Group researched and planned the lesson around a problem from the official mathematics textbook.
Design/methodology/approach
From an interpretative perspective, we have analysed the arguments produced by students in a situation where they should give reasons to support or refute some claims based on data analysis. We looked at how some teaching support strategies promoted collective argumentation.
Findings
The strategies outlined in the lesson plan enabled the teacher to foster collective argumentation, encouraging students to provide reasoning based on data analysis. The lesson plan served as a means of improving the context presented in the textbook, guiding the development of well-structured teaching, and promoting high-quality teaching practices.
Research limitations/implications
One of the limitations, and future lines of research by the LSG is the deepening of teachers' understanding of the support required for CA in their classrooms so that they can distinguish the components of an argument and their role in and interpretation of the effectiveness of the arguments. In addition, the lesson plan did not consider in depth aspects such as the argumentative processes of the students, nor did it implement specific actions to promote argumentation. Addressing these limitations would be interesting and is necessary, considering that teachers still do not understand the key role of argumentation in learning and that the mastery of CA strategies is still a challenge for initial teacher training and for professional development programs for teachers.
Practical implications
For research purposes, evidence is presented of the types of teacher support in collective argumentation in a comparative task of two dot plots. For teaching purposes, these types of support can be pointed out within Lesson Study Groups and included in lesson plans, allowing discussions and base-data argumentation.
Social implications
The research has social implications in civic development, educational inclusion, and adaptation to technological and pandemic changes, with a focus on inferential statistical reasoning and the crucial role of the teacher in facilitating collective argumentation in the online school classroom.
Originality/value
The study enriches knowledge about the potential of Lesson Study and the possibilities of planned online lessons to develop professional learning on collective argumentation with data, as exemplary teaching practices that should be widely shared.
Details
Keywords
Antonella Foderaro and David Gunnarsson Lorentzen
The purpose of this paper is to investigate practices of argumentation on Twitter discussions about climate change.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate practices of argumentation on Twitter discussions about climate change.
Design/methodology/approach
Conversational threads were collected from the Twitter API. Fundamental concepts from argumentation theory and linking practices were operationalised through a coding schema for content analysis. Tweets were analysed in the context of the discussions and coded according to their argumentative approach, interaction type and argumentation stage. Linked and embedded sources were analysed in order to find how they were used in arguments, the plausibility and soundness of the message, the consistency and trustworthiness of the linked source and its adequacy with the target audience.
Findings
Among the interactions between arguers, this study found five typical practices and several patterns involving the dynamics of the conversations, the strategy of the argumentation and the linking practices. Although the rhetorical approach was prominent, the agreement was rarely achieved. The arguers used a variety of sources to justify or support their positions, often embedding non-textual content. These linking practices, together with the strategy adopted and the topics discussed, suggest the involvement of a multiple audience engaged in discussing ad lib scientific artefacts, topics and outputs.
Originality/value
While Twitter has been the focus for many research papers, the conversational threads have been given little attention so far. With the Twitter API making conversations more accessible for research, this paper does not only give insight into multiple audience group argumentation dynamics but also provides a method to study the conversations from an argumentation theory perspective.
Details
Keywords
This paper develops a typology of argumentation strategies used in lobbying. Unlike in other strategic communication functions such as crisis or risk communication, such…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper develops a typology of argumentation strategies used in lobbying. Unlike in other strategic communication functions such as crisis or risk communication, such typologies have not been proposed in the sub-field of public affairs.
Design/methodology/approach
The article synthesises the strategic communication, political communication and policy studies literature and employs exchange theory to explain the communicative-strategic exchange in public affairs. It showcases its explanatory potential with illustrative examples from Big Tech lobbying.
Findings
The paper describes that categories of argumentation strategies that a public affairs professional will choose are based on the contingency of the issue, policy objective and lobbying objective. The descriptive typology will require empirical testing to develop further.
Social implications
The paper describes how public affairs professionals influence public policy through their argumentation strategies, which sheds light on the usually opaque activities of lobbying.
Originality/value
The proposed typology is the first of its kind for the field of public affairs. Beyond, it contributes communication-scientific insights from a rhetorical tradition to strategic communication research and other social science fields where lobbying is studied, e.g. policy studies.
Details
Keywords
Tho Thanh Quan, Xuan H. Luong, Thanh C. Nguyen and Hui Siu Cheung
Most digital libraries (DL) are now available online. They also provide the Z39.50 standard protocol which allows computer-based systems to effectively retrieve information stored…
Abstract
Purpose
Most digital libraries (DL) are now available online. They also provide the Z39.50 standard protocol which allows computer-based systems to effectively retrieve information stored in the DLs. The major difficulty lies in inconsistency between database schemas of multiple DLs. The purpose of this paper is to present a system known as Argumentation-based Digital Library Search (ADLSearch), which facilitates information retrieval across multiple DLs.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed approach is based on argumentation theory for schema matching reconciliation from multiple schema matching algorithms. In addition, a distributed architecture is proposed for the ADLSearch system for information retrieval from multiple DLs.
Findings
Initial performance results are promising. First, schema matching can improve the retrieval performance on DLs, as compared to the baseline technique. Subsequently, argumentation-based retrieval can yield better matching accuracy and retrieval efficiency than individual schema matching algorithms.
Research limitations/implications
The work discussed in this paper has been implemented as a prototype supporting scholarly retrieval from about 800 DLs over the world. However, due to complexity of argumentation algorithm, the process of adding new DLs to the system cannot be performed in a real-time manner.
Originality/value
In this paper, an argumentation-based approach is proposed for reconciling the conflicts from multiple schema matching algorithms in the context of information retrieval from multiple DL. Moreover, the proposed approach can also be applied for similar applications which require automatic mapping from multiple database schemas.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to examine the way organizational actors argue to obtain a license to operate for new ventures.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the way organizational actors argue to obtain a license to operate for new ventures.
Design/methodology/approach
The design, which addresses the issue at the industry level, consists of a case study of the ways in which power developers argue for the development of wind energy in Sweden.
Findings
The study shows that wind power developers proffer a necessity‐ability‐acceptability line of argument that relies not only on the convincing character of claims grounded in premises, but also on the persuasive character of values, knowledge and opinion likely to win the adherence of the audience.
Research limitations/implications
From a theoretical perspective, this is an illustration of the relevance of bridging the divide between argumentation theories in tune with formal or informal logic and those oriented toward rhetoric and the social practice of communication.
Practical implications
More practically, the paper suggests that in order to obtain a license to operate, managers need to combine and balance in their practice of argumentation a logical approach to factual knowledge with a situational sense for the rhetoric favored by the audience.
Originality/value
This study emphasizes the key role played by argumentation in corporate communication.
Details
Keywords
Naoki Kamimaeda, Noriaki Izumi and Kôiti Hasida
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate participants' contributions to the development of discussion and knowledge creation as organizational knowledge management, and thereby…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate participants' contributions to the development of discussion and knowledge creation as organizational knowledge management, and thereby help them better develop the discussion.
Design/methodology/approach
To evaluate participants' contributions more accurately, a method which analyzes discussion structures by Discourse Semantic Authoring was employed, which represents discussion structures explicitly in terms of discourse and dialogue relations.
Findings
The method successfully evaluates participants based on the content of their comments rather than their number. More fine‐grain semantic structure should be considered in order to improve the accuracy of this evaluation.
Originality/value
This paper presents a first attempt to analyze discussion structures to evaluate participants' contributions.
Details
Keywords
Mathias Riechert, Sophie Biesenbender, Werner Dees and Daniel Sirtes
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the development of definitional standards for research information as a wicked problem. A central solution strategy for such problems…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the development of definitional standards for research information as a wicked problem. A central solution strategy for such problems, increasing transparency by argumentation visualisation, is being evaluated.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative formal content analysis is used in order to examine whether the process of definition standardisation in the project can be characterised as a wicked problem. Action Research is used to assess the effect of argumentation visualisation in the project.
Findings
The results of the content analysis confirm the interpretation of the standardisation process as a wicked problem. The implementation of argumentation visualisation shows to increase the meetings’ focus and effectiveness.
Research limitations/implications
The relationship between information exchange, transparency and acceptance of the development result should be addressed in future empirical analyses. Visualisation solutions require further development in order to accommodate needs of the stakeholders.
Practical implications
Argumentation visualisation is of high value for finding a consensus for definitional standards and should be considered for managing and exchanging information.
Originality/value
Applying solution strategies from design research on wicked problems to large-scale standardisation efforts opens up new possibilities for not only handling such projects but also providing new avenues of research for both the design and research information communities.
Details
Keywords
Braiding organization theory and argumentation theory, the paper seeks to unfold how organizations act as social loci for the production, diffusion and development of arguments.
Abstract
Purpose
Braiding organization theory and argumentation theory, the paper seeks to unfold how organizations act as social loci for the production, diffusion and development of arguments.
Design/methodology/approach
A Swedish association dedicated to the defense and promotion of nuclear power, Miljövänner För Kärnkraft (approximately Environmentalists for Nuclear Power) serves as a case study, describing the association's argumentative activity with a particular focus on its argument that “nuclear power is environment friendly as it produces no greenhouse gas emissions”.
Findings
The manner in which the association contextualizes this key argument illustrates the inter‐relationships that exist between organizing and arguing.
Originality/value
Organizing and arguing belong to each other's conditions of possibility, and it is therefore argued that an understanding of the organized character of argumentation is symmetrical to the argumentative character of organizing.
Details
Keywords
The paper criticises the dominant paradigm of public relations theory for lack of interest in discursive and rhetorical dimensions of public relations. An alternative theoretical…
Abstract
The paper criticises the dominant paradigm of public relations theory for lack of interest in discursive and rhetorical dimensions of public relations. An alternative theoretical approach to public relations is identified that does treat discursive and rhetorical dimensions of public relations, but it is indicated that at present it has not been sufficiently integrated into dominant public relations theory. The paper explores the points of convergence between rhetoric and public relations. The narrow and broad conceptions of rhetoric are presented, the first characterising rhetoric with persuasive and argumentative discourse, the second with different types of discourse. It is suggested that elements of the broad conception of rhetoric could provide heuristics for analysing public relations techniques as “genre repertoire” of public relations discourse. In the second part, an enquiry into the narrow conception of rhetoric as persuasive and argumentative discourse is made. Positivistic understanding of “truth” and “objectivity” as normative criteria of public relations discourse is criticised on the basis of the so‐called “rhetoric as epistemic” view. It is argued that in corporate discourse, especially in situations of confrontation with active publics, key managerial decisions have to be justified in argumentation. In the last part of the paper, Toulmin’s model of argumentation is suggested as especially suitable for analysis of the argumentative nature of corporate discourse.
Details
Keywords
Current indexing methods used in automated bibliographic and full text information retrieval assume that knowledge can be adequately represented as a semantic network which is…
Abstract
Current indexing methods used in automated bibliographic and full text information retrieval assume that knowledge can be adequately represented as a semantic network which is manipulable by means of Boolean operators. However, this semantic approach requires the user to state formally what it is that he wants to find. This paper presents an alternative argumentation‐based method. It involves representing a learned article by means of rhetorical structure rather than by a semantic representation of content.