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dargument

Dargument is a term used in argumentation theory and discourse analysis to describe a data-driven form of argument that foregrounds empirical evidence and explicit data sources. The concept emphasizes traceability, verifiability, and reproducibility, contrasting with arguments that rely primarily on rhetoric or authority. While not universally standardized, darguments are discussed in studies of evidence-based reasoning in education, journalism, and public policy.

A dargument typically follows a structured template: a claim, accompanied by Data—specific datasets, measurements, or observations;

Key features include transparency of data provenance, explicit uncertainty, and a preference for reproducible analyses. Datasets

Example: A dargument on whether city bike lanes reduce congestion might present a Claim: bike lanes reduce

a
Warrant—reasoning
that
links
the
data
to
the
claim;
and
Sources—citations
or
links
to
data
repositories.
A
Qualifier
states
confidence
and
limits,
and
a
Rebuttal
addresses
anticipated
counterarguments.
Clear
presentation
of
Methods
(how
data
were
obtained)
is
common
in
many
darguments.
may
be
summarized
with
visuals
and
accompanied
by
links
to
code
or
notebooks.
This
approach
is
used
in
data
journalism,
policy
analysis,
and
educational
settings
to
cultivate
critical
evaluation
of
evidence.
peak-hour
car
traffic.
Data:
traffic
counts,
travel-time
metrics
before
and
after
lane
installation;
Warrant:
observed
reductions
in
car
usage
correlate
with
bike
usage;
Sources:
municipal
transportation
reports,
open
data
portals;
Qualifier:
results
are
region-specific;
Rebuttal:
accounting
for
concurrent
interventions
such
as
bus
rapid
transit.
See
also:
data
journalism,
Toulmin
model,
evidence-based
policy.