(L-2): Explicit information

• Explicit information


  Written and explained in the text so the learner will not be confused
• Implicit information


  Something that is not written or seen in the text but is suggested
• To read critically means to be able to distinguish the information that is clearly stated (explicit) in the text from those that are implied (implicit)
• This will help you make inferences about what you read
• Defining claims


  The writer's point or position regarding the chosen topic, which is what the writer tries to prove in the text by providing details, explanations, and other types of evidence
• The claim is usually found in the introduction or the first few paragraphs of the text
• The claim is the most important part of the text as it defines the quality and the complexity of the reading, giving direction and scope to the text
• The claim is a sentence that summarizes the most important thing that the writer wants to say as a result of his/her thinking, reading, or writing experiences
• When reading a long argument

  1. Skim the first couple paragraphs (and last paragraph if necessary)

  2. Figure out what the author is trying to persuade you to believe or do
• There may be more than one claim in a long argument so find the most important claim
• Claim


  A statement that is argumentative and debatable
• Characteristics of a good claim

  • Argumentative and debatable
  • Specific and focused
  • Interesting and engaging
  • Logical
• Identifying claims


  1. What is the author's main point?

  2. What is the author's position regarding it?
• Types of claims


  • Fact
  • Policy
  • Value
• Claim of fact


  A quantifiable assertion or a measurable topic that asserts something has existed, exists, or will exist based on data
• Claim of fact


  Relies on reliable sources or systematic procedures to be validated, different from inferences
• Claim of fact


  Usually answers a "what" question
• Determining if something is a claim of fact

  1. Is this issue related to a possible cause or effect?

  2. Is this statement true or false? How can its truthfulness be verified?

  3. Is this claim controversial or debatable?
• Claim of fact 1

  • Smoking causes cancer
• Claim of fact 2

  • People can reduce the severity of depression by increasing their sunlight exposure each day
• Terms don't help much in finding factual claims, but time-related terms like "in the past," or "in the future" and causal terms like "leads to", "improves", "destroys", or "is caused by" can be useful
• Claim of value


  Asserts something that can be qualified, consists of arguments about moral, philosophical, or aesthetic topics, tries to prove that some values are more or less desirable compared to others, makes judgments based on certain standards, on whether something is right or wrong, good or bad, or something similar
• Determining if something is a claim of value

  1. Which claims endorse what is good or right?

  2. What qualities should be considered good? Why?

  3. Which of these values contend with others? Which ones are more important, and why? Whose standards are used?

  4. What are some concrete examples of such values?
• Claim of value


  • Your idea is valuable to the project
• Claim


  A statement that is argumentative and debatable
• Characteristics of a good claim

  • Argumentative and debatable
  • Specific and focused
  • Interesting and engaging
  • Logical
• Identifying claims


  1. What is the author's main point?

  2. What is the author's position regarding it?
• Types of claims


  • Claim of fact
  • Claim of policy
  • Claim of value
• Claim of fact


  A quantifiable assertion or a measurable topic that asserts something has existed, exists, or will exist based on data
• Claim of fact vs inference

  Claims of fact rely on reliable sources or systematic procedures to be validated, unlike inferences
• Claim of fact


  Usually answers a "what" question
• Determining if something is a claim of fact

  1. Is this issue related to a possible cause or effect?

  2. Is this statement true or false? How can its truthfulness be verified?

  3. Is this claim controversial or debatable?
• Claim of fact 1

  • Smoking causes cancer
• Claim of fact 2

  • People can reduce the severity of depression by increasing their sunlight exposure each day
• Smoking causes cancer
• People can reduce the severity of depression by increasing their sunlight exposure each day
• Claim of value


  Asserts something that can be qualified, arguments about moral, philosophical, or aesthetic topics, trying to prove that some values are more or less desirable compared to others
• Determining if something is a claim of value

  1. Which claims endorse what is good or right?

  2. What qualities should be considered good? Why?

  3. Which of these values contend with others? Which ones are more important, and why? Whose standards are used?

  4. What are some concrete examples of such values?
• Claim of value


  • Your idea is valuable to the project
• Value claims


  Claims that use terms like "valuable/ beautiful/ interesting", "good/ bad/ evil", "right/ wrong", "superior/ best/ worse"