On August 6, 2026, SMART hosted the course Argumentative Writing in Academic Research, led by Kai Hüwelmeyer from the Institut für Argumentationskompetenz. The trainer connected formal reasoning with practical argumentative writing for a highly interdisciplinary group, showing how clear argument structure can help researchers communicate complex ideas across disciplinary boundaries.
The course aimed at equipping the early career researchers with the skills needed to write more convincing argumentative texts, which is a cornerstone ability for a successful academic career. It moved beyond writing well, focusing on imparting the logical basis of good argumentation using natural language, with emphasis on precision, coherence, and readability.
The participants were introduced to reasoning fundamentals, such as validity and soundness of arguments, deductive and inductive reasoning and some common forms of logical interference. This was further applied to concrete text examples, practicing the translation of logical structures into clear, natural-language formulations, and learned more about how to guide their readers through complex arguments. Special emphasis was placed on keeping the writing accessible.
Besides theoretical aspects, the workshop offered the opportunity for the doctoral researchers to practice using their own texts and receive feedback, which allows for immediate relevance for their dissertations and articles. They were also instructed on how to avoid typical reasoning errors and weak argumentative moves.
Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics,
Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center –
University of Freiburg
