premissidestoriented

Premissidestoriented is a term used to describe an approach in argumentation and critical thinking that centers the evaluation of a claim on the premises that support it. In this orientation, the strength and relevance of conclusions are judged primarily by the quality, sufficiency, and explicitness of the premises, rather than by rhetorical appeal or intuitive resonance.

Coined as a portmanteau of "premiss" and "oriented" (with influence from the word "premise"), the term signals a stance that premises are the main objects of analysis in an argument. It is used in discussions of logic, debate pedagogy, and computer-assisted argumentation to distinguish premise-focused analysis from other evaluative lenses such as audience, purpose, or stylistic persuasiveness.

Core features include explicit listing of premises, attention to whether premises are sufficient to entail the conclusion (or whether additional premises are needed), assessment of premise credibility and relevance, and identification of missing or implicit premises. The approach supports argument reconstruction from conclusions back to premises (backward analysis) as well as forward chaining from premises to conclusions.

In education, premissidestoriented methods help students practice rigorous argumentation and detect hidden assumptions. In automated reasoning and argument mapping, the term describes tools that formalize premises to derive conclusions. Critics argue that a strict premise-centric view can overlook context, rhetoric, and practical considerations, and may misjudge real-world arguments that rely on tacit knowledge or social norms.