Introduction to Argument Analysis Worksheet
Directions: There are three parts to this assignment. Read the instructions carefully.
Part 1: Use the
... [Show More] S.M.E.L.L process to read and annotate the op-ed piece “The Grant Shapps Affair Is
a Testament to Wikipedia's Integrity and Transparency” (below).
Part 2: Answer the S.M.E.L.L. questions below, using complete sentences and evidence from the
text:
1. Who is the writer?
The writer is Justin Anthony Knapp
2. Who is the audience?
The audience is Every one especially people who are knowledgeable.
3. What is the writer’s purpose?
The authos purpose is to persuade people to start or continue editing and patrolling Wikipedia
pages because of potential abuses happening everyday.
4. What is the overall issue, problem, and/or subject?
The overall issue is the misuse of Wikipedia for self gain or to satirize someone’s work.
5. What is the historical context surrounding the subject?
The historical context is James Madison’s Federalist No. 10 and the situation concerning
Grand Snapps.
6. What is the claim? What is the counterclaim?
The claim is “Common goods such as democracies or free cultural repositories can only exist
through the hard work and goodwill of a large majority who dedicate their time and effort to
cultivating them.” The counterclaim is that Wikipedia pages should be permanently closed
because the option to edit to everyone is poisoning the website, its making it less credible.
7. What evidence is used to support the writer’s claim?
“Wikipedia is largely self-policing and investigates itself as members find inaccuracies,
potential libel or petty vandalism, but it is also policed by the greater community that we hope
to serve: the public. This encyclopedia only works if others read it, contribute to it, criticize it,
and engage with one another to do the same. We need a mixture of lay people and
professionals who can go about fixing tedious typos, update statistics, or add media to plain
text, and a small few who are willing to act as custodians with access to the tools that ensure
the encyclopedia has integrity by blocking and investigating potentially abusive users.”
8. What evidence is used to refute the opposition’s position?
“The American ecologist Garrett Hardin popularized the idea of the "tragedy of the commons,"
drawing upon the work of the British economist William Forster Lloyd. He argued that public
goods such as land would be ruined by selfish interests as well as apathetic welfare. It is only
through the careful and active management of these goods by the many that we can truly [Show Less]