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Bias, Rhetorical Devices, and Argumentation

There are both good and bad arguments. Bad arguments consist of biases and fallacies. Good arguments include rhetorical devices and logic. Arguing your points and supporting your claims with evidence make your paper strong and ultimately persuade your reader to accept your viewpoint, so it is important to learn the correct techniques for argumentation.

Bias

Bias means holding opinions about a person or group that are stereotypical, prejudiced, or judgmental. Types of bias include political bias, gender bias, racial or ethnic bias, religious bias, and age bias. Academic writing requires you to be unbiased so your reader does not feel offended or excluded and also so you emerge as a fair and accurate researcher and writer. Writers must use caution to avoid bias in their own writing and also to avoid using research that is biased or one-sided.

The following are examples of common types of bias:

|Type of Bias |Example |
| | |
|Political bias |Republicans are the reason gay marriage laws will not pass. |
|Gender bias |Men take all the good jobs and always make more money than women do. |
|Racial or ethnic bias |Our country has so many economic problems because of all the illegal |
| |immigrants from Mexico. |
|Religious bias |Muslims believe in killing others for eternal reward. |
|Age bias...