Importance and Supporting Ones Claim, When Writing an - Essay Example

The facts should have permanence and universality and pass the test of time. The assertions you are making, the information, news and opinion you are giving, the facts, data and revelations you are presenting are all your ‘claims’ that needs be properly supported with objective evidence. Maxine C. Hairston says, “We all use another common thought pattern, that of assertion and support. We do that when we make a claim, and then back it up with reason”. (p57). Backing and supporting is done by citing authorities and studies in a manner to be understood and accepted by to the readers.

You are obliged to adopt a tune and style appealing to the readers and entice them to a willing suspension of disbelief as stated by Coleridge in his Biographia Literaria.Supporting your claim is important because “Professors are skeptical who expect authors to back their claims with evidence and rational arguments. As you draft your paper, try to anticipate at what points your readers might ask “How do you know?” or “What evidence do you have for that statement?” (Hairston, p5).

Giving a universal appeal and acceptance to a piece of composition, the “claims” in an essay must, therefore, be supported by objective and verifiable pieces of evidence, otherwise, the essay will turn into fiction or a fairy tale and would not appeal to the reason of the readership. The writer must, therefore, know his “claims” and must know the answer to a question like “how do you know?” or “how can you claim?” An essay should hold the reader’s attention and have sublimity which comes with authentication of the facts narrated in the essay.

The facts narrated should be universal and not limited in scope only known and understood in the local culture. They should also pass the test of time.Quoting authorities and sources also save you the charge of ‘plagiarism’ which is the worst kind of intellectual dishonesty and encroachment upon others’ intellectual property. This is considered parasitic and eating into the flesh of human beings. This also enables you to avoid violation of the laws on copyrights and proprietorship.

Permanent facts must be verifiable by quoting their origin or authority that discovered or indicated them for the first time. This referencing must be universally coded and decodable anywhere anytime. The present-day acceptable and verifiable referencing systems are the Modern Language Association citation format, the American Psychological Association citation format, the Harvard citation format, the Turabian citation format, and the Chicago citation format. These methods of citation have universal acceptance and verifiability.

References expressed by these methods would be deemed as authentic and true and will make the readers believe in the piece of composition.