Dismissed

One of the most annoying traits of public debate in recent years is how often people dismiss one another’s views out of hand. Too often I hear people proclaim, “Well, that’s just your opinion” or “Well, you’re biased.” These dismissals ignore the possibility that an opinion has been arrived at through deep reflection and are a way of not having to engage in any real thought about a subject.

The inaccurate charge of bias is one that particularly annoys me. Bias is a real issue in academic debate. It is something that scholars and students are urged to avoid. We’re also taught to look for it in the sources we use for our research. It really does exist, but too often in public debate it is assumed from someone’s viewpoint. Ironically, though not surprisingly, it is often present in the very people who charge others with this argumentative fault. People's own biases can so blind them to the facts that the only reason they can see for someone else to draw different conclusions must be bias.

The academic definition of bias is “A preference or an inclination, esp[ecially] one that inhibits impartial judgment” (American Heritage College Dictionary). So, for example, a Democrat might be prone to support President Obama’s policies since he, too, is a Democrat. Similarly, a Democrat may have been more critical of a Republican President such as George W. Bush. That kind of partisan bias occurs all the time, and it is wise to be on the lookout for it. However, it is possible for someone to support a member of their own party, to stay with the political example, without exhibiting bias.

So, how do we tell the difference between an opinion that is overly influenced by bias and one that is not?

The real answer to this question is that we can’t always tell; however, we can take steps to help us find out. Research is a key tool in helping to determine a person’s bias.

For example, let’s say you read an article by a particular political pundit. By reading this article you find out that when the Republicans were in charge, the pundit supported certain key policies. If you only read this one article, you might assume that he has a Republican bias. But if you read another article by the pundit -- one written as a new Democratic administration announces that it will continue those same policies -- and the pundit continues to support them, then we can be pretty sure that he wasn’t supporting those policies just because they were proposed by Republicans. Of course, the pundit might have other biases that contribute to his support of those policies, but through our research we’ve eliminated one of them.

Detecting true bias is very difficult. We all have biases that influence how we develop opinions. The key to honest debate is to try to recognize bias (our own and that of others) and mitigate it by keeping an open mind. We must remain open to new information that might change our opinion of a subject. This is very difficult to do even when we are aware.

What we can do rather easily is stop using the charge of bias as a cheap way of dismissing what others think. If your opinions are so fragile that you can’t bear to hear what someone else has to say, perhaps they aren’t worth keeping.

Seriously?

Last week we talked about how argumentation is at the core of academic writing. I was going to attempt to spell out how to make an argument, but that is too complex a subject for a mere blog post. There are a number of good sources to help you learn how to create a good argumentative paper. Dartmouth’s Writing Program has created this very worthwhile source for making the transition from high school writing to college writing. More specifically, Wright State’s Writing Center has this guide to creating thesis statements. In fact, our wiki has a number of useful links to help you with making the transition to academic writing.

We talked last week about how the process of argumentation is geared toward building an understanding of a subject. Still, it’s difficult to get past the connotation that the goal of an argument is to win. So what is a “win” in an academic argument?

There are a number of definitions I can think of, including the obvious one: winning an argument means making readers change their minds about the subject. I think this is a valid definition, but it can be difficult to achieve. It also can lead to bad scholarly habits. If our goal in an argument is always to convince someone that we are right, we create the temptation to cheat toward that goal. We might hide relevant information that might not support our conclusion. We might misrepresent the viewpoints of certain experts. In short, we might not be honest with our readers. That’s bad.

I think a better goal in an academic paper is to get your audience to take you seriously. This goal is well-aligned with other goals you might have. In a very personal way, much of your life to this point may have been devoted to getting people to take you seriously. After all, you’re not a kid anymore.

The key to being taken seriously in an academic environment is to demonstrate reason and objectivity. Biases born of prejudice or emotional reactions are not well thought of in college. Your readers (e.g., mostly your professors) are going to be far more impressed and persuaded by your dispassionate discussion of a subject.

So how do you achieve this tone of objectivity?

First, find out as much as you can about the subject. This is the reason professors assign research. Their requirements for the number of sources you should look at are the minimum they think you will need to review to begin to understand the subject well enough to discuss it intelligently. Don’t limit yourself to the minimum; read everything you have the time for. Remember, though, not all sources are of equal value.

In your reading, you are looking for factual data about the subject and informed opinion from other scholars and experts on the subject. Sources that deal honestly with counterarguments and differences of opinion will generally be of value. The side benefit to your research is that as you discover valid sources of information on a subject, you will also be exposing yourself to the types of writing and the tone that you will be trying to achieve for your readers.

Most importantly, be open to learning something. Try not to cling too tightly to your preconceived notions about the subject. By being open minded about the subject, you will more naturally seek out opinions on both sides of the argument. Being one sided is the perfect way to convince people that you are NOT serious.

By avoiding bias, addressing potential counterarguments, and generally trying to create an aura of competence, you will appear reasonable, and get your readers to take you seriously. It isn’t always important to win the debate – you will not always convince your reader that you are right. But if you can get your reader to take you seriously, to consider what you have said and think about it seriously, then you will have gone a long way toward being successful in your academic writing.