Reading through pages and pages of
nothing but text can often be a struggle for some audiences. It can also be
quite boring and dull. A great way to break out of this text bound routine is
through the incorporation of charts, graphs, breakout boxes and images in your
research papers. Using visual arguments can be an extremely useful way to address
ideas that may be too extensive to explain in text or just simply to add
variety to your paper. There are many things to keep in mind when determining
the effectiveness of a visual argument in your paper including the type of
visual argument, whether it be a graph, chart, or image, as well as the use of
space, color, and text. Most importantly, it is imperative to know how your
visual argument will play to your audience and have a powerful effect.
In my specific research paper, my
topic delves into the analysis of whether or not standardized testing is an
effective measure of student ability and intelligence. If I were to integrate a
chart or graphic into my paper, I might include something like this:
This chart illustrates the importance that that teachers
hold to standardized testing compared to other aspects of classroom assessment,
such as ongoing assessments, and class participation. This graph is useful to
me because it quickly and visually lays out vital information that would have
otherwise been pretty complicated to type out in text format.
For more examples on how to include
graphs, charts, and images into your research argument, USA Today is a great website
to investigate. In an article titled,
John Calipari as a Player, the author effectively uses groups of images epitomizing
Calipari’s basketball career to break up her lengthy article and accentuate the
idea of him as a successful player. Knowing how and when to use visual
arguments to best express your ideas is a vital knowledge when writing
successful pieces of research.
